Lost Child of the Caribbean
by Afton Cissell
Approximately $615 million in damages were caused by natural disasters in Belize from 1931 to 2007 according to the OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database. However, this number only tells the story of infrastructure being destroyed. What are the silent costs of windstorms, floods, and extreme temperatures? Belize is a small, multicultural country dependent upon agriculture and tourism. The UN Development Program (UNDP) reports that 12.7% of the GDP in 2005 was accounted for in agriculture such as bananas, sugar, and citrus. However, service industries have recently diversified the economy because tourism has increased through destination vacations and cruises. Central American countries are becoming increasingly dependent upon the tourism industry to sustain their economies. The service sector has accounted for the largest share of the GNP in Belize since the 1980's according to the Britannica Online Encyclopedia.
Natural disasters and poor farming techniques have destroyed what little arable land these nations had to begin with. Also, natural resources have been exploited through European colonialism and increasing oil dependency. Belize and its neighbors now have growing concerns as the agricultural industry suffers through poor harvests due to floods and other disasters.
Not only does this leave gaps in food production and exports, but it also hurts the tourism industry as the vegetation in these nations is ravaged in severe storms. The 45 year-old Caucasian woman staying in the Platinum member suite on a Royal Caribbean ship does not want to set port at a wrecked country. Tourists are searching for paradise. They want to sip cocktails on a sparkling beach beneath towering palms with a lush island in the background. However, these customers are finding deeply rutted roads, crumbling buildings, muddy walking pathways, and fallen trees. The natives of these countries must deal with condescending and offensive remarks that sting national pride and hurt the economy. Cruise lines will plot routes to fit customer demands. If that same Platinum member decides that nations such as Belize should not be on the itinerary, then the cruise lines will find new ports to satisfy the clientele.
The trade industry is suffering in many ways due to environmental impact. The production industry must deal with lost harvests. Farmers have to combat nutrient-poor land. Transporters fight muddy and flooded roads. Belize is still an impoverished and under-developed nation. Native merchants depend upon roads and rivers to transport goods while robust foreign companies have the luxury of using trains, cargo ships, and airplanes to mobilize products. Belize is a prime location for severe windstorms, floods, and hurricanes that destroy the means of transportation as well as production. In August 2007, Belize bore witness to the devastating impact natural disasters have on the trade industry when Hurricane Dean destroyed approximately 35,000 acres of sugar cane; Subsistence farmers suffered massive losses of their crops. Many buildings and roads had serious damage and thousands of people were displaced.
Unfortunately, as the Belizean economy diversifies and finds new measures to sustain itself, extensive methods have not been found to combat environmental impact. Instead, the Belizean people are preparing to exploit its oil reserves due to the ever-growing demand in the modern, consumer world. Belize has the smallest proportionate availability of electricity in the Caribbean, yet it is ready to help fuel the industrial world. As the Caribbean nations begin to export oil they will have to face new environmental challenges such as spills, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions.
So how do we save this floundering lost child of the Caribbean? The World Bank does not seem to have a clear-cut answer; it has no active projects in Belize currently. In 2001, the World Bank approved a loan for this project in the aftermath of Hurricane Keith. This loan was used in rebuilding and rehabilitation activities in some of Belize's poorest communities. In 2003, the Social Investment Fund was closed. It was created to give poorer communities small projects in order to build social and economic infrastructure. In 2005, the World Bank also closed the Roads and Municipal Drainage Project. This program worked to improve natural drainage to reduce the occurrence and impact of floods. According to the World Bank, this project reduced travel time on major highways by 30 minutes and eased traffic flow in urban areas and commercially used roads to aid in commerce and tourism.
The UNDP and UN Environment Program (UNEP) are developing a program in Latin America targeting the link between poverty and the environment. This new initiative has already been established in Asia and Africa. It will work to increase public information concerning the links between these topics and will lobby governments to take measures to combat the dangerous impacts natural disasters have.
While these few programs are extremely important in goals and achievements, they are only a small representation of the action that needs to be taken. Belize and other Caribbean nations need aid in the building of sturdy infrastructure and a sustainable economy. The environment cannot be continuously ignored; its bite has been felt and countries such as Belize can attest to its viciousness.
