Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System

• Housing and major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure (Destruction of fragile ecosystems due to resort / housing development) (issue resolved)
• Integrated management
• Invasive / alien marine species (Introduced species)
• Land conversion (Sale and lease of public lands within the property)
• Oil and gas (Oil concessions within the marine area)

Sale and lease of public lands for the purposes of development within the property leading to the destruction of mangrove and marine ecosystems

Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6208

Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/1825

Adopted, see page http://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6208 

Total amount granted: USD 140,000: i) USD 30,000 from the Rapid Response Facility for the monitoring of unauthorized activities in the Bladen Nature Reserves which were impacting the property; ii) USD 30,000 for emergency conservation actions in favour of the critically endangered wide sawfish (2010); iii) USD 80,000 in support of public use planning and site financing strategy development for the Blue Hole Natural Monument (2008-2009)

On 27 February 2019, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/764/documents/, reporting the following progress towards implementing Decision 42 COM7A.43:

• Funding has been secured and Terms of Reference have been drafted for completing the official land tenure verification within the property. Simultaneously, actions are being undertaken to initiate drafting of the necessary legal instruments for the designation of remaining public lands within the property as strict mangrove reserves, which will integrate the results of the land survey. Due to funding issues, the process has been slightly delayed but is now expected to be completed by April 2019;
• Consideration of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property has been integrated into the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Checklist and EIA regulations are being amended for this purpose. It is stated that the amendments will be submitted for approval by the Cabinet in February 2019;
• The Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan (ICZMP) continues to be implemented through various activities, programmes and projects including the re-institution of the Coastal Zone Advisory Committee, the coastal planning region inventory, the Resilient Reefs Initiative, the Climate-Smarting Marine Protected Areas in the Meso-American Reef Region project, and the Marine Conservation and Climate Change Adaptation Project;
• Other conservation initiatives are also being implemented which further strengthen the protection of the property, including those aimed at improving existing fishing regulations through the new Fisheries Resources Bill and increasing functional no-take areas in Belize territorial seas.

Following the achievement of the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), the World Heritage Committee removed the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger at its 42nd session in 2018, requesting the State Party to ensure that pending issues related to the finalization of the official land tenure verification within the property were completed by the end of 2018. 

The State Party has made progress towards completing the land tenure verification process and the subsequent designation of remaining public lands in the property as strict mangrove reserves consistent with the requests of the Committee. However, it is reported that initial funding issues prevented completing the process by the end of 2018. Noting that funding has been secured and the land tenure verification is expected to be finalized by April 2019, it is recommended that the Committee reiterate its request to the State Party to complete the process, and subsequently designate remaining public lands within the property as strict mangrove reserves, as a matter of priority, and no later than 31 December 2019.

It is noted that specific provisions for the consideration of the property’s OUV have been included in the EIA Checklist, and amendments to the EIA Regulations were completed for Cabinet approval in February 2019. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to confirm the official approval of the amended Regulations, once available.

The State Party further continues to implement the ICZMP through a multitude of projects, programmes and activities, including a new 4-year Resilient Reefs Initiative that is being implemented in collaboration with an international consortium of partners, including the World Heritage Centre’s Marine Programme. It is recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to continue its efforts in the implementation of the ICZMP. From 26 to 30 November 2018, the government of Australia hosted a 5-day high-level visit for delegates from Belize to exchange best practices on climate impacts and leveraging the World Heritage designation to secure sustainable livelihoods, jobs and income for local communities.

Finally, other actions reported by the State Party should be welcomed, including finalization of the Fisheries Resources Bill, expected to be officially approved by the Cabinet in mid-2019, and implementation of the National Replenishment Zone Expansion initiative that was adopted in April 2019. The latter increases the area of Belize waters as no-take zones from the current 4.5% to 11.6%. This progress is important and can be expected to substantially add to the overall protection of the OUV of the property.