| Overview : BACKGROUND -
Climate change is regarded as a serious development issue that can have adverse effects on the economic growth, as well as the natural and human capital, of Belize. Even though Belize’s contribution to the climate change phenomenon has been negligible, the country is slated to be disproportionately affected by the negative impacts of climate change and variability.
Projected climate change impacts for Belize include a 7-8% decrease in the length of the rainy season, a 6-8% increase in the length of the dry season and a 20% increase in the intensity of rainfall. Other expected impacts include increased erosion and inundation of coastal areas, increase in temperature, sea level rise, flooding and an increase in the intensity and occurrence of natural hazards such as hurricanes. The adverse impacts of climate change are already being felt on the coast and low lying areas and are expected to have significant impacts on the environmental, physical, social and economic fabric of the Belizean society, including vital sectors such as coastal zone, water, health, tourism, agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries.
In order to facilitate sustained development in the face of climate change, the Government of Belize has been proactive in the implementation of policies and strategies which aim to establish long term goals, targets and indicators. Notably, the Government has approved a long term strategic framework for development, dubbed Horizon 2030, and is currently making efforts to develop a National Climate Change Policy, Strategy and Action Plan to facilitate an adequate response to climate change. Nevertheless, as stated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2008, there is need for forward-looking national economic development plans or strategies that encompass low-emission and/or climate-resilient economic growth. As such, the UNFCCC promotes the development and implementation of Low Carbon Development Strategies (LCDS) and states, in COP 15 and beyond (as well as in the Copenhagen Accord), that these strategies are indispensible to development.
In light of the stipulations of the UNFCCC, the European Union Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA), through the project entitled “Enhancing Belize’s Resilience to Adapt to the Effects of Climate Change”, supports capacity building for the use of Low Carbon Development Strategies (LCDS) for planning purposes and the development of a roadmap to use as a guide for future development of such strategies. The activities of this consultancy can serve multiple purposes but is primarily intended to help advance national climate change management and development of climate change policies in a more co-ordinated, coherent and strategic manner. As such, this capacity building initiative can strategically assist the country in shifting its development path to a low-carbon economy in order to achieve sustainable development, based on local socio-economic and development priorities.
OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTANCY -
The overall objective of the consultancy is to design and implement a capacity building programme to facilitate the development and implementation of a Low Carbon Development Strategy. The implementation of the capacity building program will focus on the transfer of knowledge on the use of the low carbon growth modelling framework for planning purposes, through workshop training sessions.
Specifically, the consultancy aims to:
1. Assess the existing capacity level as it relates to the fact base, the analytical and institutional capacity and the awareness of relevant stakeholders in order to determine the current situation existing in Belize as it relates to low carbon development (assessing country readiness).
2. Analyse development alternatives, and international stipulations regarding low carbon development in order to define the desired future capacities.
3. Implement a detailed training programme which is aimed at developing the desired capacity needed for low carbon, climate change resilient development.
4. Facilitate the development of a national roadmap to use as a guide for future development of a low carbon emission strategy. |
