Belize Country Report –Status, Advances, and Needs

Rudolph Williams and Eden GarciaHydrology Unit/University of Belize

2/18/2009

BackgroundClimate : Subtropical

SeasonsWet: June – November

Transitional: December –February

Dry: March - May

Temperature: 70° – 85°F

Rainfall 1500mm – 3800mm

Population estimated 2007 311, 500

Risk Situations and Disasters in Belize

• Lies the Tropical Atlantic Hurricane region– Hurricane threatens every three years– Threats more frequent in the northern part of

the country• Floods oftentimes accompany Tropical

systems– 39 identifiable river basins– 18 Major watersheds

Settlements at Risk of Flooding in BelizeSettlements at Risk of Flooding in Belize

• There were some ~263 populated places• Of these 263 settlements, 163 (62%) lie

within areas at risk of flooding. • 149 are in floodplains which flood annually • 11 in areas which have a flood recurrence of

20 years• 3 areas with a flood recurrence of 1,000

years

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B e l m o p a nB e l m o p a n

B e l i z e C i t yB e l i z e C i t y

! SettlementsDistrict boundariesInternational boundariesMajor rivers

Flood riskNo flood risk1: Exceptional flood risk (1,000 yr)2: Every 20 years3: Every few years or annually4: Swamp or marsh forest5: Savanna plain / saline plain6: Swamp or mangrove7: Very poorly drained / herbaceous swamp8: Permanent water bodies

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0 20 4010

miles

MexicoG

uate

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>San Pedro

Data sources: Belize Land Information Centre,Belize Tropical Forest Studies King et al 1992

Belize Flood Belize Flood Risk MapRisk Map

Recent Disasters – TS ARTHURAccumulated rainfall (May

29th – June 4th 2008) 254 mm (10 in) - 152 mm (6 in)

500 year flood event

5 persons lost their lives2 Major Bridges destroyed

Kendal BridgeMullins River BridgeRoads damagedNumerous Homes

destroyedCrops destroyed

Recent Disasters – TD 16Accumulated rainfall (May

13th – 20th October 2008) 547 mm - 105 mm

1000 year flood event

2 persons lost their livesBridges FloodedRoads damagedCulverts destroyedNumerous Homes destroyedCrops destroyed

At least a combined 146 communities 98,594 persons were affected by TS Arthur & TD16

Settlements in the Belize at Risk of FloodingSettlements in the Belize at Risk of Flooding

• The Rio Bravo - upper, middle and lower confluence with Blue Creek & Rio Hondo. Albion Island :San Antonio, San Roman and Santa Cruz; Douglas; San Victor

• New River - Middle and lower. TowerHill, San Estevan, Santa Cruz; Caledonia.

• Belize River - Middle and lower -Roaring Creek to Haulover Creek, north side of Belize City. Crooked Tree lagoon/wetland Biscayne, Grace Bank and Davis Bank Middle and lower Sibun River. All coastal communities in the lower Sibun River watershed including Gracie Rock, Cedar Bank and Freetown Sibun.

Settlements in the Belize at Risk of Flooding Settlements in the Belize at Risk of Flooding --ContCont’’dd

• Manatee River - Gales Point.

• North Stann Creek - Middle and lower Middlesex, Pomona, Melinda, Hope Creek and Sarawee, and north-side Dangriga Town.

• The Sittee River - Middle and lower – Sittee River villages

Technologies used to Prevent and Mitigate Disasters• Data collection

• Telephone• Satellite• Internet

Advisories• Radio• Television• Talk Shows• Internet

• Modeling GIS– Land Information

Center & Hydrology Unit

– CAFFG• Forecasts

– Historical data– Expert Judgment– Hydrologic

Modeling

Needs for the development of Information and Communications Technology

• NEMO – More Trainer of Trainer Courses in Supplies

Management & Damage Assesments– A communication network down to the Village

level– A functional and effective early warning

system to alert vulnerable communities– Computerization-and networking of Plans at

all levels using the recently acquired 'Cassandra' software.

Needs for the development of Information and Communications Technology - Cont’d

• Data Collection– rivers levels and rainfall data should be

automatically uploaded electronically to the database using VHF radio signals, satellite and computer networking

• Advisories– In the event of a Dam failure evacuation

routes and safe zones should be identified so that the public may quickly move toward safety.

Chalillo Hydropower Project EWS•EWS Project - component of the Belize Electric Company Limited Environmental Compliance Plan

•Redundant submersible depth transducers detect reservoir level changes that exceed the possible maximum decreasing rate • Such a rate will be considered a dam failure

Chalillo Hydropower Project EWS•Datalogger via VHF radios and a repeater system activate siren alarms in all vulnerable communities

•Signals will be simultaneously transferred to the NEMO, NHMS, BECOL, Police, Medical Headquarters via a similar automated VHF radio communicating network

• Mandatory system test before every flood season

Thank You