Belize, located in Central America, boasts the largest coral reef system in the Northern Hemisphere and a rich ecosystem. However, as it is situated in a hurricane-prone area and many of its densely populated coastal regions are low-lying, the country is highly vulnerable to natural disasters such as floods and heavy rains, causing significant hardship for its people.
To enhance Belize's resilience to extreme weather, the NTU Center for Weather and Climate Disaster Research (WCDR), the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), and the Belize Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management jointly launched the Belize Urban Resilience and Disaster Prevention Project (BURDP Project) in 2019. The Project aims to leverage Taiwan's extensive experience in water management and advanced disaster management technologies to strengthen Belize's disaster prevention and response capabilities.
The BURDP Project is led by Prof. Hao-Che Ho. In the Project's initial phase, a governance plan was developed for San Ignacio, a major tourist city in Belize. By integrating hydrological data, disaster prevention infrastructure, topography, satellite imagery, roads, and utility pipelines, the Project analyzed flood-prone areas and their extents. Based on local rainfall and river level monitoring data, the Project issues early warnings about the timing and extent of potential flooding.
Additionally, the NTU team made several trips to Belize to conduct training sessions, visit disaster prevention agencies, and exchange experiences with local personnel and community residents. In November 2020, Hurricane Eta struck Central America, causing severe damage in the region. Thanks to the flood warning platform developed by the NTU team, residents of San Ignacio were able to evacuate three hours in advance, significantly reducing the local disaster losses.
Building on the success in San Ignacio, the team expanded the scope of their efforts in 2022, shifting their focus to the Belize River, the most important river in Belize. Historically, this river has been the lifeline for the country's agriculture and economy, flowing through areas that are home to 45% of the national population. Additionally, many of the country's key cities are located along its banks, including the capital Belmopan, the largest city Belize City at the coastal river mouth, and the second-largest city San Ignacio.
The NTU team introduced an integrated "watershed disaster prevention and management" approach, developing an early flood warning system for the Belize River. Key aspects of the Project include updating fundamental geographic data, enhancing pre-disaster preparedness, training cross-departmental rapid response teams, implementing technological monitoring methods, planning for flood-prone area management, and providing disaster response data and consultation.
In 2023 and 2024, the team continued to visit Belize to implement measures such as the installation of water monitoring stations, drone operation training, and the promotion of disaster preparedness in communities. They also invited Belize's cross-departmental disaster prevention personnel to Taiwan for professional training and visits. Through this technical assistance, the team aims to comprehensively enhance the disaster response capabilities of local communities and frontline workers in Belize, working together to create a smart and safe environment for its people. This initiative will help achieve sustainable development goals in terms of early warning before disasters, response during disasters, and recovery after disasters.