SUPPORTING RECOVERY AND BUILDING RESILIENCE IN BELIZE Enabling rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic AT A GLANCE San Pedro, Montana, Belize. Photo: ZUMA Press, Inc./ Alamy Stock Photo Country: Belize Hazards: Hurricanes, flooding, coastal erosion, sea-level rise, coral bleaching and droughts GFDRR Areas of Engagement: Deepening engagements in resilience to climate change SUMMARY Belize is exceptionally vulnerable to natural hazards, climate change and economic shocks. For this reason, planning and engaging with development partners on gender-informed, climate-resilient preparedness, recovery, and public financial management practices have been central to Belizean policy making. In this respect, as part of the country’s emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canada Caribbean Resilience Facility (CRF) has helped the Government of Belize to advance the design and implementation of several important initiatives including the World Bank’s Contingent Emergency TACKLING DISASTER RESPONSE Response Component (CERC) financing instrument, as well as CAPACITY GAPS an emergency cash transfer program that is expected to benefit more than 13,000 households The Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and the World Bank established the Canada-Caribbean CONTEXT Resilience Facility (CRF), a bank-executed, single donor trust Belize is greatly exposed to hurricanes, flooding, sea-level rise, fund with support from Global Affairs Canada (GAC). The coastal erosion, coral bleaching, and droughts with impacts Trust Fund is valued at CAD 20 million—estimated USD 14.4 likely to intensify given expected increases in weather volatility million—and implemented over a five-year period (FY19– and sea temperature shocks. Despite meeting the population FY23). The CRF was established to achieve more effective and criterion for small nation states—having a population less than coordinated gender-informed, climate-resilient preparedness, 1.5 million—Belize has a relatively large landmass compared recovery, and public financial management practices in nine to other Caribbean countries, and ranks fourth after Cuba, Caribbean countries. In Belize, the CRF provides support for Dominican Republic and Haiti. Its extensive forest, mangrove activities that address Belize’s capacity gaps regarding technical swamps, and agricultural area provide intriguing prospects for knowledge, familiarity with the World Bank environmental and climate change mitigation. However, its low-lying topography social management framework (ESMF) as well as experience makes it extremely vulnerable to rises in sea level: the capital with the contingent emergency response component (CERC) city, Belize City, was moved inland to Belmopan after its 1 implementation instrument. CERC-implementing agencies inundation during hurricane Hattie in 1961. For these reasons, have been trained on environmental and social due diligence planning and engaging with development partners on gender- for emergency response activities. Such measures ensure that informed, climate-resilient preparedness, recovery, and public activities implemented under CERCs are compliant with the financial management practices have been central to Belizean World Bank environmental and social standards. policy making for many years, long before Belize submitted its nationally determined contribution (NDC) to the Paris Accord in 2015. RESULTS IN RESILIENCE SERIES Photo: Caye Caulker, Belize. Source: Ian Bottle. Alamy Stock Photo. FLEXIBLY SUPPORTING BELIZE’S ACTIVITIES COVID-19 RESPONSE Technical assistance and implementation support for recovery and resilience-building programs: The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the need to strengthen n The CRF enabled emergency response to the COVID-19 regional and national systems further for emergency and disaster pandemic through support for the activation of CRIP’s response. The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted contingent emergency response component. CRIP’s not-yet education, social protection, food, security and economic committed funds of USD 20.5 million was allocated to response sectors, mirroring the experience faced during extreme weather activities, including cash transfers to poor households and events and hurricanes. It has also heightened the natural support to affected farmers in Belize. disaster risks for the Caribbean, increasing vulnerability as most of the coping mechanisms to respond to emergencies have n CRIP continued the activities of CERC, including national already been fully tapped to respond to COVID-19. Overall social capacity building: vulnerability has significantly increased as the poor and the • Activities which implemented environmental and social most vulnerable groups have been the most seriously affected by safeguard policies mainstreaming climate resilience and the COVID-19 crisis. gender into the public financial management cycle. Amid the unforeseen unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic the • Technical assistance which strengthened the legal and Government of Belize requested support to activate CERC of the regulatory framework for managing disaster risk financing in Climate Resilience Infrastructure Project (CRIP). In response Belize. to this request, the CRF assisted Belize with the necessary • Technical assistance which enhanced public procurement. documentation for CERC activation, including the ESMF that ensures emergency response activities funded through CERC • Technical assistance which improved financial management comply with environmental and social safeguards. control. The CRF also initiated and supported the training of government stakeholders on environmental and social due diligence for RESULTS emergency response activities. The training comprised activities n The COVID-19 outbreak in Belize activated USD 20.5 million geared to support farmers affected by the COVID-19 crisis. This is from CERC under CRIP to respond to the pandemic. This only the first step, as other assistance such as additional capacity program targets households screened through a poverty building is still required to expedite the CERC activation, and assessment tool, and factors households with pregnant the implementation of socially and environmentally compliant women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. response activities in the agriculture sector. In total, more than 13,000 households in need are expected to receive cash transfers through this emergency response. n The Building Opportunities for the Transformation Initiative was expanded. This initiative is a cash transfer program that provides small cash assistance to poor households in Belize. n The Government of Belize conducted a post disaster public financial management review. n The Government of Belize developed a detailed reform action plan for post disaster public financial management with CRF’s support.