National Meteorological Service of Belize receives weather equipment

On February 7, 2023, The Government of Belize through The Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation (MBECA), in collaboration with The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representation for Jamaica, the Bahamas and Belize and Belize’s National Designated Authority to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) provided the National Meteorological Service of Belize (NMS) with weather equipment to monitor sea level and also upgraded some functionalities of the ‘SURFACE’ Climate Database Management System (CDMS).

On September 2, 2022 FAO signed a contract with Elligence Solucoes Em Technologia Ltda., for the upgrading of the ‘SURFACE’ Climate Management System (CDMS) of the National Meteorological Service of Belize (NMS) for better coastal management; a deliverable under the project Enhancing adaptation planning and increasing climate resilience in the coastal zone and fisheries sector of Belize, valued at29,900 USD. The upgrades made to the NMS CDMS includes ocean wave management features and metadata management features to facilitate ocean wave parameters. A two (2 days) training will be provided to improve capacity of Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (CZMAI), NMS and the Fisheries Department on ocean wave dynamics based on raw data collected.

The equipment received includes two radar water level sensors, one measurement and control datalogger and one weather-resistant enclosure. The equipment is valued at 10,301.33 USD for a total investment of 40,201.33 USD.

Through its provision of climate services, the NMS provides critical support for managing risks and reducing disasters in climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, health, the blue economy etc. The NMS continues to monitor climate trends in rainfall, temperature, heatwaves, and other extremes and share new records of long-term climate change indicators. One way in which this is done is through its Climate Database System “SURFACE CDMS”. Its capabilities go beyond the capture and storage of weather and climate data. It encompasses practical interaction between weather, climate, and water in various sectors within Belize and is something the NMS has been planning for over the past few years. This database plays an integral role in the NMS’s overall goal of providing meteorological and climate-based products and services in order to protect life and property, and contribute to the enhancement of the social, economic and physical well-being of the people of Belize.

The database upgrade is a hallmark for the climate change initiative in Belize. The primary goal of the project is to enable the National Meteorological Service of Belize to enhance its data collection and management capabilities to measure and process basic ocean wave information that could support coastal monitoring and modelling activities such as monitoring sea level rise, which has not been monitored extensively in Belize.

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For more information, contact:

CEO Dr. Osmond Martinez, Belize’s NDA to the GCF: [email protected]

Ms. Hunter Hales, Proposal Development Officer, MED: [email protected]

Ms. Maxine Monsanto, Director of Blue Economy: [email protected]

Mr. Jeffy V. Gomez, GCF National Project Support Consultant [email protected]