In a significant environmental achievement, Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD) has received prestigious recognition for its groundbreaking cross-border fire management efforts between Belize and Guatemala. The UK-Belize Climate & Nature Legacy Awards recently honored the organization’s innovative project that has transformed regional fire prevention strategies.
The award-winning initiative has successfully bridged international boundaries by establishing collaborative fire protocols, conducting comprehensive training programs for emergency response teams on both sides of the border, and laying the foundational framework for a joint Belize-Guatemala Forest Fire Taskforce. This bilateral cooperation addresses the critical reality that wildfires respect no political boundaries, posing continuous threats to agricultural lands, residential communities, and the ecologically vital Maya Forest ecosystem.
This environmental partnership builds upon a 2014 intergovernmental agreement between Belize and Guatemala specifically designed for natural resource protection. FCD has since formalized three separate agreements with Guatemalan counterparts, expanding collaboration to encompass biodiversity preservation, river conservation, and sustainable community development programs.
The international dimension of this effort includes substantial support from the British High Commission in Belize, which has consistently backed these cross-border conservation initiatives since 2015. This multinational approach demonstrates how environmental challenges can foster international cooperation and create meaningful diplomatic channels through shared ecological concerns.