DOE Commences Data Collection Process for New and Improved GEO Report

The Department of the Environment held an inception meeting for the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) Report. This meeting is aimed to gather input from relevant stakeholders and industry experts to provide a more accurate overview of Belize’s environmental health status.  Some topics of discussion over the next few days include the impacts of climate change, pollution, and changes in the country’s different ecosystems. Chief Environmental Officer, Anthony Mai, says this report will better enable policymakers in making informed decisions and implement effective actions to address the environmental challenges in Belize. This project is being facilitated through funding from the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP). UNEP’s Regional Office Representative, Javier Neme (Neh-meh), explains that this exercise is crucial to reshape the national platform for environmental information. 

The University of Belize (UB) will be conducting environmental research and data collection that will be used to produce this report. UB’s Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, Dr. Apolonio Aguilar says that this will not only be conducted by staff, but also by students so that they can take a hands-on approach in the field.

This report is expected to be finalized by 2025.