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The Connection Between Saving a Coral Reef and Local Community Decision Making

Gradient Ocean

Cindy Walbridge

Dec 15, 2021

Belize

Categories:

Environment, Climate Change, Resilient, Sustainability

The Belize Barrier Reef is a series of coral reefs straddling the country. The site is one of the most pristine reef ecosystems in the Western Hemisphere, often referred to as the most remarkable reef in the West Indies by Charles Darwin. It is the most extensive reef system in the Northern Hemisphere, while the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the largest in the Southern. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) designated it as a World Heritage site in 1996. Unfortunately, tourism, oil drilling, coral bleaching, and other diseases have caused significant damage to the reef system since that time.


Despite its incomparable beauty, one would not suspect that it is in a country that is one of the poorest in the world. The reef system is vital to the Belizean economy for tourism and fishing. About 200,000 Belizeans - half of Belize's population - are dependent on the reef for their livelihoods, representing approximately 15 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).


UNESCO added the Belize Barrier Reef System to the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger. Belizeans realized the need to protect their valuable resource. In a 2012 public referendum, 96% of voters supported the restoration and protection of the reef systems, so the work began. The Belizean government began to work with scientists and grassroots and environmental organizations to tighten regulations, preserve mangrove habitats, and enact more oversight of the reef systems. The government, also, in 2017, put a moratorium on oil exploration. The Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System was removed from UNESCO's Sites in Danger list in 2018.


But the government did not stop there. This year, 2021, they sold 266,000 acres to the Nature Conservancy held in trust for Belizeans who have a vested interest in preserving their land, the reef, and way of life.


The citizens of Belize took action to protect their way of life and assets. They are still an impoverished country but are making changes that will pay dividends in the long term. The country benefits economically, socially, and environmentally. Triple bottom line is a term used by many to evaluate the performance of a proposed project. For everyday people, it suggests the best action to take is the one that yields economic, social, and environmental benefits. Benefits achieved in one category do not negatively impact another.


The Belizean people arrived at a solution that preserved the coral reef (an environmental benefit). The solution protects the livelihoods of the people who fish the reef (an economic benefit) and maintains a centuries-old way of life for local people (a social benefit).


Interesting, but how is it applicable to my hometown? Insist that your local government use triple bottom line accounting to evaluate the performance of every proposed project. Admittedly, it will not be easy, and historically, economic interests will lobby hard to overrule this approach. Public decisions made for financial gain with long-term environmental and social damages are the norm for most communities.


Politicians are notoriously short-term in their thinking, which makes what happened in Belize so remarkable. Yet, look at today's communities thriving economically, environmentally, and socially. Typically, each has taken tough stances to find a balance. Look at some of the short-sighted decisions made in the past. A community disregarded their historic district and built a highway through it. A county permitted endless subdivisions to sprawl through valuable farmland and environmentally sensitive forests. Countless examples exist.


Challenging and changing long-established practices is not easy but entirely possible. Community involvement is the key to success, and building alliances with different organizations is helpful. An important consideration is to be proactive and create possible project scenarios for various parts of your community. If you wait then react to a development proposal, you will likely fail.


A long-term commitment by elected officials to visibly demonstrate a triple bottom line win will result in a more resilient and sustainable hometown.


This level of commitment is long-term. It requires patience, perseverance, passion, and success in small steps, not leaps and bounds. Not everyone is up for the task. Does this pique your curiosity? Would you like suggestions to start? Please get in touch with us at info@im4u.world.

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Catalog #:

1121.107.01.121521

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