Flash Flooding is common in Central America - but, historically, it has not been so in Belize - due to better land use practices. But, that's changing. With agricultural expansion and accompanying deforestation along with climate change - flash floods are a real threat, and disaster managers now have to prepare contingencies.
Today, they got some help in approaching the problem with the best science. Taiwanese experts are here to show disaster managers how to use Global Information System technology to develop a flood prevention project and an improved emergency management system - based on science, not supposition. Here's more from the opening ceremony of the Belize Flood Prevention Seminar:
Hon. Hugo Patt - Minister of Natural Resources
"Belize suffers from the threat of Hurricane and extreme rainfall due to climate change. The low lying costal planes as well as densely populated areas can't deal with the most impact caused by extreme weather. Amongst the approximately 380 thousand inhabitance nationwide around 70 percent of the population live in these low lying areas and 40.5 percent live nearby coastal areas; of which 24 percent live in areas that are prone to flood disasters. When these natural disasters especially hurricanes and floods affect these vulnerable areas those at risk find save haven in inland areas, san Ignacio being one such location. Unfortunately however, these same havens are recently being threatened by flash floods that prevent access to infrastructure used during emergencies especially including the community hospital"
Earl Trapp - Mayor, San Ignacio
"This pilot project is to build capacity in the use of geographic information system that will enhance the capabilities of Belize in the application of technology, reduce disasters as well, to assist in marking out the potential flood prone areas. An established and ordered mechanism of flood mitigation in San Ignacio and Santa Elena. In the past 8 to 12 weeks delegation from Taiwan, personnel from forestry department and of course San Ignacio Town council have traversed around the twin towns approximately 3 times to have seen the conditions with the drainage system in key areas that need to be addressed urgently to avoid future clogging that will raise the bar for extreme flooding in these specific areas in the twin towns. We need to move swiftly in addressing these situations and I anticipate that some positive results will come to fruition."
The seminar finished this afternoon and included capacity building and training courses.
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