Projects

Pro-Adapt Belize Project

July 2019 – October 2021

On average, Belize is hit every 3 years, with principal hazards being severe losses from wind damage, and flooding due to storm surge and heavy rainfall during hurricanes.  As a low-lying coastal nation with approximately 50% of the population living along the coast, both urban and rural coastal communities’ vulnerabilities increase.  Belize City is the most vulnerable community, susceptible to flood damage due to its very low-lying land and exposure to the coast. 

To address extreme weather projects and to build resilience in the construction sector, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement  on October 12th 2017 formally naming the BCCI as the Executing Agency for the private sector focused project, Pro-adapt Belize – Increasing Climate Change Resilience and Related Business Opportunities.

This Project aims to increase private-sector climate resilience in Belize at the enterprise level in the construction sector, while also helping local stakeholders to capitalize on the growing demand for products and services that enable buyers to better manage exposure to climate phenomena including flooding, sea-level rise, cyclonic winds and heatwaves. The project incorporates both supply and demand-side perspectives in one operation, with a geographic scope of three coastal communities: Belize City, San Pedro Town, and Caye Caulker Village. From the demand side, private sector climate resilience is a defensive strategy on the part of enterprises when aiming to enhance their business continuity and to protect property, value chains and critical infrastructure. From the supply side, climate resilience is a business opportunity for local MSMEs in the form of products and services needed to help customers to improve the management of their exposure to climate risks.