| Overview : BACKGROUND
Climate change is considered to be a serious development issue worldwide. Many of the impacts of a rapid change in climate are already being felt all over the world by unprepared, vulnerable people, communities, sectors and countries, inter alia. Even though the developing countries do not hold historical responsibility for climate change, they are slated to be disproportionately affected by many of the near-term and long-term impacts.
In this case, Belize is no exception since the country can expect impacts relating to increased erosion and inundation of coastal areas, increase in temperature, sea level rise, flooding and an increase in the intensity of natural hazards such as hurricanes. Particularly, the projected impacts will significantly affect Belize’s productive sectors, as well as its social sectors, causing major economic, human and social impacts that can significantly undermine efforts to achieve sustainable development.
OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTANCY
The overall objective of the consultancy is to facilitate the review of the management plans in the tourism, health, municipal development, fisheries policy and development plans and coastal zone management sectors in order to make recommendations for the incorporation of climate change considerations into the respective planning processes.
Specifically, the consultancy aims to:
• Review established or on-going development programs, policies or management strategies, or plans in the tourism, health, municipal development, fisheries and coastal zone management sectors from a climate change perspective and to ascertain their alignment with local, national and international priorities to facilitate the mainstreaming of climate change.
• Identify and analyse opportunities and challenges for mainstreaming climate change into the sector plans and provide recommendations towards strengthening them from a climate change perspective. |
