Belize's Future: Will Parts Submerge Underwater?

Belize is a small Central American country nestled along the Caribbean Sea, boasting a captivating natural landscape adorned with pristine beaches and the renowned Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a UNESCO World Heritage site. With a tropical climate, abundant rainfall, and a coastline flanked by the second-longest barrier reef in the world, one might assume that water-related issues are minimal in Belize. However, the question arises: are parts of Belize going underwater?

Belize's water resources

Belize is rich in surface and groundwater resources. However, the total water resources cannot be evaluated because existing data are limited, especially concerning groundwater availability. Surface water resources are abundant across the country, except on the Vaca Plateau, where streams disappear into porous limestone. The northern rivers have meandering streams, while the southern rivers have smaller basins and flow more rapidly into the sea. The sum of the quantified river discharges is 15 km3/yr, occupying 59% of the territory. Five of these rivers originate in Mexico and Guatemala. The Rio Hondo forms the northern boundary with Mexico, and the Sarstoon River forms the southern boundary with Guatemala.

Groundwater is available throughout the less mountainous areas of Belize, and its yield characteristics can be attributed to the geology and climatic conditions. The northern region consists of calcareous sediments with high permeability. Similar groundwater yield conditions are indicated in the south, where limestones are found. In contrast, the shales and slates have low permeability and are not suitable for groundwater extraction. Sporadic occurrences of poor-quality groundwater exist, with high chloride concentrations found along the coast and tidal rivers. Large concentrations of hardness and sulphate are also found in some areas, particularly the Corozal District. While quality issues exist, acceptable quality water can usually be located for central supply systems with sufficient test drilling. Poor-quality groundwater is more common during the dry season when freshwater recharge from precipitation is negligible, particularly in the north, where it can last for three to four months.

Belize has a dependable tropical/subtropical rainfall regime in the northwest Caribbean region, which replenishes the freshwater resource after extended dry periods. However, increasing demand for freshwater due to population growth, economic activity, and agricultural expansion is threatening the quality and availability of freshwater. Belize has 18 major river catchments and 16 sub-catchments, which drain the Maya Mountains and discharge into the Caribbean Sea. There are also numerous freshwater and brackish water lakes or lagoons scattered throughout the central and northern coastal areas and low-lying inland areas.

Belize Water Services (BWS), a private water company, provides potable water supply for urban communities and some rural settlements. BWS also provides sewerage services for Belize City and Belmopan. The company manages water supply systems for nine urban areas and about 56 rudimentary systems. The average daily water supply from river sources is approximately 3.79 million gallons, 0.59 million gallons from groundwater sources, and 0.38 million gallons from springs. Groundwater is a critical source of freshwater in rural Belize, where almost 95% of the freshwater supply comes from groundwater. Groundwater is extracted in rural areas using hand pumps and rudimentary water systems. The Rural Water Unit is responsible for drilling wells and installing pumps and works closely with the community to develop these systems.

Environmental issues

Belize is a small Central American country nestled along the Caribbean Sea, boasting a captivating natural landscape adorned with pristine beaches and the renowned Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System. Despite its natural beauty and ecological integrity, Belize faces several environmental issues that threaten its rich hydrological features and diverse ecosystems.

One pressing environmental concern is deforestation. Belize's landscape is divided into two main regions: the visually striking Maya Mountains and the associated basins and plateaus in the south, and the northern lowlands and southern coastal plain. The Maya Mountains are covered with shallow, erodible soils and are sparsely inhabited, while the northern lowlands contain flat wetlands and coastal plains, with diverse flora and fauna. Deforestation in these regions can lead to soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and disruption of ecological balances.

Another significant issue is water pollution, primarily from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff, and solid waste disposal. While Belize has an abundance of surface and groundwater resources, the quality of these water sources is at risk due to human activities. Industrial waste and agricultural runoff can contaminate drinking water supplies, and inadequate sewage disposal systems can lead to the discharge of untreated wastewater into water bodies.

Belize's reliance on imported petroleum for energy needs is also an environmental concern. While the country has considerable potential for hydroelectric and renewable energy sources, it has not fully explored or utilized these options. Oil exploration in the 1980s did not lead to production operations, and Belize continues to be dependent on imported petroleum, contributing to carbon emissions and climate change.

In addition, solid waste disposal is a challenge, especially in rural areas. Lacking organized refuse disposal systems, many households in rural parts of Belize dispose of their solid wastes into rivers or the Caribbean Sea, leading to water pollution and ecological degradation.

Belize has taken steps to address some of these environmental issues. For instance, the government has promoted the effective and efficient use of water through improved irrigation systems and access to reliable water sources for farming communities. Additionally, through the Pesticide Control Board, Belize monitors, regulates, and evaluates the use of agrochemicals to reduce the contamination of surface and groundwater resources.

Belize is also a signatory to several international conventions and agreements aimed at protecting the environment, including the Basel Convention, Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar Convention, CITES, MARPOL 73/78, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Belize's topography

Belize is located on the Caribbean coast of northern Central America. It shares a border with Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the west, and Guatemala to the south. The country is shaped like a rectangle, extending about 280 kilometres north-south and 100 kilometres east-west, with a total land boundary length of 516 kilometres.

The topography of Belize can be divided into two main regions. The first of these is distinguished by the Maya Mountains and the associated basins and plateaus that dominate all but the narrow coastal plain in the southern half of the country. The mountains rise to heights of about 1,100 metres, with the highest point being Victoria Peak (1,120 metres) in the Cockscomb Mountains. The Maya Mountains are a large intrusive block of granite and other Paleozoic sediments running northeast to southwest across the south-central part of the country. The hilly regions surrounding the mountains are formed from Cretaceous limestone and are characterised by a karst topography featuring numerous sinkholes, caverns, and underground streams.

The second region comprises the northern lowlands and the southern coastal plain. The northern lowlands are mostly level land interrupted only by the Manatee Hills. The coastal plain in the south rises sharply from a flat and swampy coastline featuring many lagoons. The coastline is about 386 kilometres long and is flanked by the second-longest barrier reef in the world. The Belize River, also known as the Old River, is the country's largest and most historically important river.

Belize has a tropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. Average temperatures in the coastal regions range from 24°C in January to 27°C in July, while temperatures are slightly higher inland except for the southern highland plateaus, where it is cooler year-round. Overall, the seasons are marked more by differences in humidity and rainfall than in temperature.

Belize's economy

Belize has a developing free-market economy, with a focus on private enterprise. The country's economy is primarily based on agriculture, tourism, and services.

Agriculture

Belize's primary exports are citrus fruits, sugar, and bananas. In 2018, Belize produced 1.7 million tons of sugarcane, 100,000 tons of oranges, 80,000 tons of bananas, and 77,000 tons of maize, in addition to smaller-scale production of other crops such as papaya, rice, and soy. The country has about 8,090 square kilometres of arable land, but only a small fraction of this is under cultivation.

Historically, Belize's economy depended on forestry, with logwood and mahogany being the main exports. However, by the 20th century, the country's economy had shifted to new sectors, with cane sugar becoming the principal export. In recent years, this has been supplemented by expanded production of citrus fruits, bananas, seafood, and apparel.

Tourism

Tourism is a major source of foreign income for Belize, contributing 12.0% of GDP in 2011. The country's diverse ecology, including the largest coral reef in the Americas and extensive mangrove ecosystems, along with its many Mayan ruins, attract tourists interested in fishing, boating, swimming, diving, and ecotourism.

Services

The service sector has accounted for the largest share of Belize's gross national product (GNP) since the early 1980s. Services sustain nearly half of the labour force and GNP.

Trade and Finance

Belize has a substantial trade deficit in goods, with imports exceeding exports. The country's chief trading partners include the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Mexico, Curaçao, Panama, and members of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom). Belize's main exports are seafood, sugar, citrus products, bananas, and clothing, while its chief imports include machinery, transport equipment, food, fuels, lubricants, and chemicals.

Belize's currency, the Belize dollar, is fixed to the US dollar at a rate of 2:1. The country is considered a tax haven, and its economy is highly susceptible to external market changes.

Belize's climate

Belize has a tropical climate with a rainy season from May/June to October/November and a dry season from November/January to April/May. The country benefits from plentiful rain—between 50 and 200 inches per year—which means that even those without access to a community water system can collect drinking water in a cistern.

The climate varies by region, with temperatures depending on elevation, proximity to the coast, and the moderating effects of the northeast trade winds off the Caribbean. Average temperatures on the coast range from 24°C (75°F) in January to 27°C (81°F) in July. Inland, temperatures are slightly higher, except in the southern highland plateaus, such as the Mountain Pine Ridge, where it is cooler. Overall, the seasons are marked more by differences in humidity and rainfall than in temperature.

The average rainfall varies considerably across the country, ranging from 1,350mm in the north and west to over 4,500mm in the extreme south. The rainy season is shorter in the south, normally lasting only from February to April. A shorter, less rainy period, known locally as the "little dry", usually occurs in late July or August, after the initial onset of the rainy season.

Belize's topography is notably devoid of large-scale dams or significant reservoirs for water management or hydroelectric power generation, preserving its natural beauty and ecological integrity. Instead, the country's interlocking networks of rivers, creeks, and lagoons have played a key role in its historical geography.

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