Carib Scope

分类： environment

  • Belize Lays Groundwork for Credible Carbon Credit Market

    Belize Lays Groundwork for Credible Carbon Credit Market

    Dated August 17, 2026, the Central American nation of Belize has taken a critical first step toward joining the global carbon trading ecosystem by enacting landmark climate legislation, though government leaders have emphasized that actual carbon credit sales will not begin until all foundational governance structures are fully in place.

    Following the formal passage of the Climate Change and Carbon Market Initiative Act, the Belizean government is now moving to put in place the full set of rules, administrative systems, and independent oversight mechanisms required to build a credible, trusted carbon credit market that meets international standards. According to Edalmi Pinelo, the country’s Chief Climate Change Officer, the new legislation focuses far less on rushing into immediate carbon trading and far more on establishing core pillars of trust, transparency, and accountability that will underpin all future market activity.

    Pinelo explained that the act sets out a clear national governance framework designed to boost Belize’s climate resilience while strengthening institutional capacity for climate action, particularly around transparency and accountability. The core priority of the new law, he noted, is to get the country ready for carbon market participation – not to open trading immediately. “This act does not mean Belize is ready to engage automatically on the carbon market,” Pinelo stressed in a public address. “First we have to build the machinery in order for us to initiate any implementation phase.”

    To make the technically complex policy accessible to the general public, Pinelo outlined three core goals guiding the legislative reform. First, the act formalizes the creation of new national climate institutions, including a dedicated Climate Change Department and a high-level National Climate Change Council. These bodies will strengthen national climate governance, establish a nationwide transparency framework, and roll out measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) arrangements to accurately track emissions data. Reliable, consistent data, Pinelo noted, is the key to building confidence among international carbon credit buyers.

    Second, the legislation prioritizes market integrity and environmental protection as non-negotiable prerequisites for any trading activity. For Belize’s carbon market to succeed long-term, participation must be rooted in credible data, full transparency, clear accountability, and uncompromising environmental integrity. These guardrails will protect the country’s interests during trading interactions and ensure fair distribution of benefits from carbon credit sales across Belize.

    A central structural provision of the new law is the creation of a national carbon registry, a critical system that will track every metric ton of emissions reductions and prevent the common market flaw of double counting – the practice of selling the same emissions reduction to multiple buyers, which erodes trust in carbon credits globally.

    Officials have reiterated that no carbon credit projects or trading activity will be approved until all required policies, supporting regulations, and administrative systems are fully operational. By prioritizing foundational infrastructure over a rapid market launch, Belize is positioning itself to build a carbon market that meets international credibility standards and delivers long-term benefits for both climate action and the country’s economy.

    This report is adapted from a transcript of a televised evening newscast.

  • Record applications for environmental internship

    Record applications for environmental internship

    Barbados’ flagship environmental youth internship programme has hit a new milestone of competitiveness this year, drawing a record-breaking number of applicants for just a handful of available positions, according to the head of the hosting agency. Speaking at the closing ceremony for the 2026 Environmental Summer Internship Programme, held this week at the Savannah Hotel in Hastings, Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU) director Dr. Leo Brewster revealed that 280 young people competed for only 29 open spots in the programme – a new all-time high for participation.

    Widely regarded as the longest-running and most competitive youth development initiative under the country’s Ministry of Environment, the programme has emerged as a critical launching pad for young adults seeking to build professional careers in environmental conservation and climate action, Dr. Brewster explained.

    “The untapped potential of this programme to engage young people, women, and any individual passionate about protecting our natural environment is nearly boundless,” Dr. Brewster told attendees at the ceremony.

    He outlined that the hands-on programme was intentionally structured to provide recent graduates and early-career participants with real-world professional experience across a range of environmental and natural heritage subfields. Beyond offering immersive exposure to the sector, the internship also equips participants with core in-demand skills spanning technical analysis, administrative operations, field research, and data management, while letting interns contribute directly to active conservation projects, research initiatives, biodiversity monitoring, public outreach campaigns, and community engagement efforts.

    The ceremony also featured remarks from Barbados Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment Santia Bradshaw, who took the opportunity to honor the legacy of the late Dr. Shelly-Ann Cox, former Chief Fisheries Officer, and her long-held vision to expand opportunities for young people to build a personal connection to environmental stewardship.
    Bradshaw recalled a field tour of Consett Bay she took with Dr. Cox shortly before Dr. Cox’s unexpected passing, during which the pair discussed plans to launch dedicated environmental youth camps designed to foster a lifelong love of the ocean and the island’s natural ecosystems among young Barbadians.

    “Sadly, Dr. Cox left us far too soon, and we were not able to advance that vision as far as we had hoped,” Bradshaw said.

    She issued a call to the graduating interns to carry forward Dr. Cox’s legacy by leveraging their new skills and professional networks to inspire more young people to join the conservation movement, and to partner with the Ministry of Environment and its associated agencies to advance shared climate and protection goals. Bradshaw urged interns not to view the programme’s completion as an endpoint, but rather as a starting point for giving back to their local communities and mentoring the next generation of environmental leaders.

    Bradshaw shared her ambition that the internship programme will over time grow a robust network of trained environmental professionals across all of the island’s key environmental agencies – including the Natural Heritage Department, National Conservation Commission, Coastal Zone Management Unit, Fisheries Division and Biodiversity Unit – who will prioritize knowledge-sharing and mentorship to build a sustainable, skilled workforce for Barbados’ conservation sector. The closing ceremony was also attended by key stakeholders from Barbados’ fishing industry. (Photo credit: Shamar Blunt / Barbados TODAY)

  • Ready to Talk Climate? Belize’s Climate Week to Kick Off in PG

    Ready to Talk Climate? Belize’s Climate Week to Kick Off in PG

    As small island developing states around the globe ramp up their climate response efforts, Belize is gearing up to host its fifth annual Climate Week, scheduled to run from August 21 to 24 this year in the coastal town of Punta Gorda, Toledo District. Centered on three core pillars—climate action, technological innovation and long-term sustainability—the event will take place at the Punta Gorda Sporting Complex, carrying the forward-looking theme: “Where Innovation Meets Impact: Driving Resilience, Scaling Technology and Expanding Inclusion in Climate Action”.

    Kicking off with a community-focused parade and an official opening ceremony, the four-day convening will structure its daily programming around distinct, high-priority climate themes. The agenda builds on a format adapted from the United Nations’ annual global climate conference, splitting activities into two dedicated zones: the green zone, which will host in-depth panel discussions led by leading climate experts, and the blue zone, which will feature interactive exhibitions and booths run by civil society organizations and relevant government ministries.

    Edalmi Pinelo, Belize’s Chief Climate Change Officer, explained that this year’s program was intentionally designed to break down barriers between climate stakeholders and ordinary Belizeans. Unlike closed-door policy events, the 2026 Climate Week is structured to encourage direct engagement between local communities and the experts, organizations, and initiatives working on climate issues across the country. “You will have the opportunity to explore and interact with work across climate action, innovation, technology, creativity, conservation, and inclusion,” Pinelo noted, emphasizing that the event’s commitment to inclusion means welcoming participants of all age groups, from youth to elderly residents.

    Each subsequent day of the event will zero in on a specific sector to deepen targeted discussion and collaboration. Day two will be dedicated to the orange economy and creative climate solutions, followed by a full day focused on climate resilience in Belize’s critical forest and agriculture sectors. The final day of Climate Week will turn attention to blue spaces—Belize’s invaluable coastal and marine ecosystems—and the scaling of climate technology to protect these resources. Organizers expect a diverse cross-section of attendees, including climate researchers, representatives from government agencies, independent nonprofits, student groups, and members of the general public, all coming together to advance shared climate goals for the nation.

  • Coastal resilience project to start later this year

    Coastal resilience project to start later this year

    Barbados is moving forward with a landmark $105.8 million initiative to reverse worsening coastal erosion across the island, with construction set to break ground before the end of 2025, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment Santia Bradshaw has confirmed. The Climate Resilient and Sustainable Integrated Coastal Zone Management Programme, the largest coastal protection investment in the country’s recent history, comes in response to accelerating land loss along the island’s shorelines, a crisis amplified by the severe damage inflicted by Hurricane Beryl in 2024.

    Funding for the multi-phase project is overwhelmingly supported by the Inter-American Development Bank, which is providing $100 million in concessionary financing, with the remaining $5.8 million coming from the Barbadian government as domestic counterpart funding. Bradshaw outlined the phased rollout of infrastructure and restoration work in a public announcement made during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Environmental Summer Internship Programme at the Savannah Hotel in Hastings, Christ Church.

    The first phase of construction will target three high-priority erosion hotspots: Clinketts in the parish of St Lucy, Sand Street in St Peter, and the stretch of coastline running from Mullins to St Peter’s Bay. Work will then shift to Oistins Bay for the second phase, before the third and final initial phase covers the densely developed coastal corridor from Rockley Beach to St Lawrence Gap, a popular tourism and residential area. While Bradshaw noted that the island’s east coast is also facing severe erosion driven by constant, powerful Atlantic Ocean wave action, she did not unveil specific planned interventions for that region as part of the current programme.

    Beyond physical construction, Bradshaw framed the initiative as a foundational investment in Barbados’ long-term social and economic stability, rather than a purely environmental project. The programme combines a suite of nature-friendly and engineered solutions to address erosion, including beach nourishment to restore lost sand, the construction of stabilizing coastal structures such as groins, revetments and breakwaters, and targeted upgrades to drainage systems in high-risk areas. These interventions are designed not only to halt erosion but also to protect coastal communities, critical road infrastructure, private and public properties, enhance public access to beaches, and reduce the hazard risks associated with future storm events.

    In closing remarks to the cohort of environmental interns, Bradshaw emphasized that collective action across all segments of Barbadian society is required to tackle growing climate-driven environmental challenges. She encouraged the young participants to embrace environmental stewardship, noting that they represent the next generation of environmental leaders that the country will rely on to safeguard its future. “Protecting our coastline is not simply about protecting beaches…it is about protecting people, protecting homes, livelihoods, our economy, and the future resilience of Barbados,” Bradshaw told the group.

  • Safety improvements underway at Botanical Gardens

    Safety improvements underway at Botanical Gardens

    One of the Caribbean’s most beloved public green spaces, the local Botanical Gardens, has entered a new phase of infrastructure improvement focused on boosting visitor and staff safety. The island’s Ministry of Environment, Rural Modernization, Kalinago Upliftment and Constituency Empowerment confirmed that construction teams are already working to reinforce perimeter fencing around the gardens’ public washroom facilities, a key component of a broader multi-step plan to upgrade the site’s overall security and condition.

    According to ministry officials, the targeted fencing upgrades are specifically engineered to deliver higher levels of protection for everyone who accesses the gardens, from casual local visitors to touring tourists and full-time on-site staff. As construction activities progress through the scheduled timeline, the government body has issued a public call for patience and cooperation from all garden users, noting that temporary minor disruptions to access may occur during the work.

    This fencing enhancement project is just one of several coordinated investments being made to revitalize the Botanical Gardens, a popular recreational and ecological landmark. Officials also extended public recognition to the National Abilities Organisation (NAO), a local group that has provided critical support to the initiative. The ministry reiterated its gratitude to both the NAO and the general public for their ongoing collaboration, as the government works to deliver a safer, more welcoming green space that meets the needs of all community members and visitors.

  • Asonahores calls for sargassum solutions that benefit tourism

    Asonahores calls for sargassum solutions that benefit tourism

    SANTO DOMINGO — As the Caribbean region grapples with one of its most persistent marine ecological challenges, a leading tourism industry official in the Dominican Republic is pushing for a holistic, community-centered approach to tackling the growing sargassum invasion threatening the nation’s iconic coastlines. Aguie Lendor, Executive Vice President of the Dominican Hotel and Tourism Association (Asonahores), has emphasized that any long-term strategy to address the influx of brown seaweed along the country’s shorelines must deliver shared benefits to both the $10 billion-a-year tourism sector and the local coastal communities that depend on healthy marine ecosystems for their livelihoods.

    In a public interview on the popular local morning news program *El Despertador*, Lendor issued a clear warning: climate and ocean current projections indicate that exceptionally large volumes of sargassum will drift to Dominican shores by 2026, making urgent, proactive planning non-negotiable to mitigate damage to popular beaches and ecologically sensitive coastal zones. Without sustained, coordinated action now, she argued, the incoming seaweed surge could erode the country’s reputation as a top tropical travel destination and disrupt the daily lives of residents who live along affected coastlines.

    Already, many private tourism operators have moved ahead with independent mitigation measures to protect their guest-facing beachfronts. Lendor confirmed that a large number of the country’s major hotels have deployed layered containment systems, including dual offshore barriers engineered to block massive clumps of sargassum from reaching the recreational beaches used by tourists. While these private efforts have proven effective for individual properties, Lendor noted that they do not solve the broader, nationwide problem, highlighting the need for coordinated public sector leadership.

    She added that a dedicated inter-ministerial government cabinet is currently assessing a range of potential long-term management solutions, from innovative harvesting technologies to offshore diversion strategies and commercial repurposing of collected sargassum for products like fertilizer, biofuel, and construction materials. Throughout the evaluation process, Lendor stressed, policymakers must center a balanced approach that prioritizes both the economic needs of the tourism industry — which supports more than half a million jobs across the country — and the health, safety, and economic well-being of local coastal communities and the general public. Any successful strategy, she argued, cannot protect tourist beaches at the expense of leaving residential and public coastlines buried under tons of rotting seaweed.

  • UN Summit opens with urgent call to restore the world’s degraded lands

    UN Summit opens with urgent call to restore the world’s degraded lands

    The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (COP17) kicked off on Monday in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, uniting over 10,000 stakeholders from across the globe to confront three interconnected planetary crises: accelerating desertification, widespread land degradation, and intensifying drought events.

    Running for two weeks under the unifying slogan “Restore the land, restore hope,” the summit brings together delegations from all 197 member parties of the convention, alongside senior government officials, business executives, and civil society leaders to collaborate on actionable solutions. For host nation Mongolia, the urgency of the issue hits close to home: Prime Minister Nyam-Osoryn Uchral opened the summit by highlighting that roughly 80% of the country’s total territory already suffers from damaging soil degradation. In his opening address, Uchral pushed global parties to move past non-binding past pledges and deliver tangible, on-the-ground outcomes. He outlined three core priorities for global action: scaling up targeted investment in large-scale and local land restoration initiatives, expanding the meaningful participation of frontline local communities and traditional pastoralists who depend on healthy land for survival, and integrating cutting-edge science and innovative technologies into restoration strategies.

    Yasmine Fouad, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, echoed this call for urgent action, warning that ongoing land degradation and drought are already placing critical systems at risk globally. She emphasized that these environmental threats are already undermining global food production, destabilizing potable water supplies, and eroding the economic resilience of vulnerable communities worldwide. Fouad made clear that the core mission of COP17 should be to rebrand itself as an “implementation summit,” one that translates years of international climate and land commitments into measurable, verifiable progress that improves outcomes for people and the planet.

    Over the course of the summit, delegates will tackle a broad, interconnected policy agenda that covers drought preparedness and mitigation, cross-border management of sand and dust storms, large-scale land restoration target setting, sustainable financing mechanisms, resilient food systems, integrated water management, climate-induced migration linked to land degradation, and equitable land rights for Indigenous and local communities. UN data underscores the scale of the crisis: an estimated 3.2 billion people around the world already face daily impacts from land degradation, drought, and the cascading crises they trigger.

    The summit’s second week, running from August 24 to 28, will feature high-level engagement, with ministers and other senior government leaders taking part in cross-border dialogues and issue-focused thematic sessions. A key priority for negotiators during this period will be finalizing a long-awaited legally binding global framework on drought. Negotiations on this framework were not completed at the 2024 COP16 held in Riyadh, leaving delegates in Ulaanbaatar to resolve outstanding differences and deliver a final agreement to guide global action.

  • Flash-flood warning now in effect

    Flash-flood warning now in effect

    Barbados’s national weather agency has escalated its flood alert level, turning an initial flash flood watch into a full active warning Monday morning as a slow-moving tropical wave drenches the island with persistent moderate to heavy rainfall. The Barbados Meteorological Services (BMS) announced the upgraded warning at 8:30 a.m. local time, a little more than two hours after first placing the country on flash flood watch as the storm system began moving into the area.

    Meteorologists explain that the tropical wave is moving through an atmospheric environment that supports continued rainfall, with total accumulations projected to reach between two and three inches across the island by the time the system passes. This level of rainfall in a short period has put the island at high risk of disruptive and potentially dangerous flooding, especially in regions that sit at lower elevations that are naturally prone to collecting runoff.

    The BMS has outlined a range of hazardous impacts that residents and visitors should prepare for over the coming hours. Water running off from higher ground increases the risk of soil erosion and landslides on steep or already damaged slopes, while standing water is expected to accumulate on public roadways and agricultural fields. Flooding is particularly likely at the base of hills and along low-lying coastal roads, with some routes expected to become fully impassable, leading to widespread travel disruptions and traffic delays. Fast-flowing floodwater also poses a threat as it can pick up and carry large debris and objects downstream, creating hidden hazards for anyone caught in flood zones.

    In addition to the upgraded flash flood warning, Barbados remains under a severe thunderstorm watch that was issued at 7:50 a.m. the same day, also tied to the incoming tropical wave. Intense downpours will bring the risk of frequent cloud-to-ground lightning strikes, which the BMS warns could damage critical electrical infrastructure, leading to unplanned power outages across parts of the island.

    Both the active flash flood warning and severe thunderstorm watch are scheduled to remain in place until noon local time the same day, though the BMS notes that alerts could be lifted earlier if weather conditions improve more quickly than forecast. The agency has urged all members of the public to stay tuned to official weather channels and emergency management updates for the latest information as the tropical wave continues to impact the island.

  • Flash-flood watch in effect for Barbados

    Flash-flood watch in effect for Barbados

    Barbados remains on high alert for flash flooding Thursday, after national meteorological officials issued a watch that will stay in effect through midday, as an approaching tropical wave dumps steady moderate to heavy rain across the Caribbean island. The Barbados Meteorological Services (BMS), which first put the watch in place at 6 a.m. local time, noted that unstable atmospheric conditions from the tropical wave have already brought measurable rainfall to the island, with as much as one inch of precipitation recorded overnight ahead of the system’s full arrival. Forecasters project that an additional 1 to 2 inches of rain could fall across Barbados before the system moves past, bringing not just persistent downpours but also the risk of scattered thunderstorms through the morning. The primary hazard associated with the heavy rain, officials say, is flash flooding in low-lying and poor drainage zones, where standing water can accumulate quickly. Expected impacts extend beyond flooded neighborhoods: standing water on major roads and agricultural fields is already beginning to disrupt daily movement, with local officials warning residents to prepare for extended commuting delays and occasional unplanned traffic diversions in hard-hit areas. Beyond transportation disruptions, the BMS warned that rising water levels in small ponds, streams and other natural water bodies are likely, along with increased risk of soil erosion on sloped terrain and unwanted flooding of private residential and commercial properties. Officials noted that the watch could be lifted earlier than the scheduled noon expiration if weather conditions improve rapidly, but they also emphasized that the alert could be upgraded to a more urgent flash-flood warning if rainfall rates exceed current projections and more dangerous flooding develops. Residents across the island are advised to monitor local weather updates closely, avoid flooded low-lying areas, and heed any instructions from local emergency management officials through the duration of the alert.

  • Belize Partners With The Nature Conservancy to Protect Its Rivers

    Belize Partners With The Nature Conservancy to Protect Its Rivers

    As climate and human activity continue to put growing strain on critical freshwater ecosystems across Central America, the government of Belize has formalized a new collaborative partnership with global conservation leader The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to protect and restore the country’s vulnerable rivers and freshwater networks. The signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), announced August 16, 2026, establishes a structured long-term framework for joint action across multiple core conservation priorities.

    Under the terms of the agreement, the two partners will work together on integrated watershed planning, systematic ecological monitoring, standardized data collection, public outreach campaigns to build community awareness, and coordinated engagement with all stakeholders that rely on Belize’s freshwater resources. All initiatives under the partnership are aligned with the shared goal of advancing more sustainable management practices for Belize’s valuable freshwater supplies.

    With more than decades of on-the-ground experience partnering with national governments and local communities around the world on freshwater management and watershed restoration projects, TNC brings a wealth of global expertise to this collaboration. Organization representatives note that the partnership will allow Belize to leverage this international experience to advance its own national conservation priorities for freshwater ecosystems.

    Hannah St Luce-Martinez, TNC’s Country Program Director for Belize, emphasized the interconnected nature of healthy freshwater systems in explaining the urgency of the work. “Water doesn’t recognise institutional boundaries. What happens upstream can affect communities downstream and ultimately our coastal and marine ecosystems,” she said. “Protecting freshwater requires cooperation across agencies, sectors and communities.”

    The MOU comes at a critical moment for Belize, as its rivers and surrounding watersheds face intensifying threats from extreme weather events including more frequent severe flooding and extended drought, driven in part by rising global temperatures, alongside growing pollution from human activity. By combining the Belizean government’s local leadership and on-the-ground jurisdiction with TNC’s decades of global conservation experience, both sides say they are committed to delivering long-lasting, measurable outcomes that benefit both natural ecosystems and the local communities that depend on healthy freshwater systems for their livelihoods and well-being.