Grant of US$500,000 will boost the country’s capabilities to manage solid waste in touristic areas and rural villages.
The Prime Minister of Belize, Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, and Country Representative of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Dr. Cassandra T. Rogers, as well as IDB Executive Director Toshiyuki Yasui as witness of honor, on Tuesday, June 17, 2019, signed an agreement to implement a non-reimbursable Technical Cooperation (grant) to improve solid waste management in Belize by promoting the reduction and recovery of municipal solid waste generation and contributing to the expansion of coverage of municipal solid waste management to rural areas.
According to this agreement, the Government of Belize receives a US$500,000 grant from the IDB through the Japan Quality Infrastructure Initiative (JQI). The specific objectives of the Technical Cooperation are to: (i) implement a pilot project in selected tourist areas to promote source separation, composting, reuse and recycling, and (ii) design of a system to facilitate solid waste collection and transport in rural villages for final disposal in the Mile 24 Regional Sanitary Landfill as well as (iii) designs for route optimization in urban areas.
The Technical Cooperation will also contribute to enhancing the image of Belize in the eco-tourism market.
Support to the Solid Waste Management Project
The Government of Belize is currently implementing a second phase of the Solid Waste Management Project, a US$10 million IDB loan that is financing investments to improve solid waste transport, recovery, and final disposal in towns and villages in Belize’s Northern (Orange Walk and Corozal) and Southern (Stann Creek and Toledo) Corridors as well as in Belmopan. The final goal of the second Solid Waste Management Project is to reduce environmental pollution by improving solid waste management practices in emerging tourism destinations.
This Technical Cooperation will complement the investments undertaken by the Government of Belize over the last decade which have resulted in the closure of dumpsites in Belize City, San Pedro, Caye Caulker, and San Ignacio/Santa Elena – Benque Viejo and the construction of the Mile 24 Regional Sanitary Landfill.
About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank is devoted to improving lives. Established in 1959, the IDB is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB also conducts cutting-edge research and provides policy advice, technical assistance and training to public and private sector clients throughout the region. The IDB is the leading source of multilateral financing for Latin America and the Caribbean.
