TaiwanICDF - Belizean Ministries Sign MOU in Support of the TaiwanICDF’s Belize Multi-Hazard Risk Management Capacity Building Project

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Belizean Ministries Sign MOU in Support of the TaiwanICDF’s Belize Multi-Hazard Risk Management Capacity Building Project

The International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), in collaboration with Belize’s Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Solid Waste Management and Ministry of the Public Service, Disaster Risk Management, and Enterprise, held the launch ceremony for the Belize Multi-Hazard Risk Management Capacity Building Project in Belmopan on August 27, 2026. As a key part of the event, the two Belizean ministries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen inter-ministerial cooperation in support of the project and to enhance Belize’s capacity to address multiple disaster risks, including floods and forest wildfires.

The MOU was signed by Hon. Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Solid Waste Management, and Hon. Henry Charles Usher, Minister of the Public Service, Disaster Risk Management and Enterprise. The signing was witnessed by H.E. Chin-Yao Chi, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to Belize, and acknowledged on behalf of the TaiwanICDF by Mr. Hsin-Chang Su, Chief of the Taiwan Technical Mission in Belize, signifying Taiwan's recognition and support for the establishment of this inter-ministerial cooperation framework.

The ceremony brought together 73 participants from several government agencies, international organizations, disaster-prone communities, and academic institutions. Belizean government representatives included officials from the Policy, Planning, and Project Unit, the National Hydrological Service and Forest Department under the Ministry of Sustainable Development, and the National Emergency Management Organization and National Meteorological Service under the Ministry of the Public Service. Representatives from the Belize Defence Force and Belize National Fire Service also attended the event.

International and development partners represented at the ceremony included the World Food Programme, Humana People to People, the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center, and the United Nations Children’s Fund. Representatives from communities at high risk of disasters also attended the ceremony.

During the event, Ms. Li-Shan Lin, the project manager of the technical mission in Belize, presented the background, key activities, and future direction of the project. The project focuses on three major areas: strengthening inter-agency disaster early warning platforms and coordination mechanisms; expanding resilient community development and disaster preparedness capacity; and introducing automated forest wildfire monitoring technologies.

Under the project, disaster hazard maps will be developed for 15 additional communities at high risk of flooding and forest wildfires. Community-based disaster preparedness initiatives and multi-hazard emergency response training will also be carried out to strengthen local resilience. In addition, three automated ground-based forest fire early warning stations will be established in high-risk areas. Remote sensing and ground observation data will be integrated to develop a forest fire risk assessment model and establish a carbon sink monitoring demonstration site. Through these efforts, the project aims to progressively expand multi-hazard early warning coverage across Belize and demonstrate how Taiwan’s technological expertise can contribute to strengthening disaster resilience in partner countries.

Minister Habet noted that the early warning systems previously established with Taiwan’s assistance have already demonstrated their effectiveness. However, as climate change brings increasingly complex disaster risks, disaster management can no longer focus on a single type of hazard. Through enhanced cooperation between the two ministries, Belize will further advance a multi-hazard risk management approach by integrating the expertise of different government agencies and strengthening prevention and preparedness for hazards such as forest wildfires.

Minister Usher stated that Belize faces multiple disaster threats each year, including hurricanes, floods, storm surges, droughts, and forest wildfires. While disasters cannot always be prevented, he emphasized that stronger preparedness, more efficient information sharing, enhanced early warning systems, and personnel training can better equip communities to respond when disasters occur. He noted that the signing of the MOU represents an important step toward strengthening Belize’s overall disaster preparedness and community response capacity.

Ambassador Chi noted that Taiwan regularly faces natural disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes and has accumulated extensive experience and expertise in disaster preparedness and post-disaster recovery. He expressed Taiwan’s willingness to share its experience and expertise with Belize through the project and to continue supporting Belize in strengthening its disaster resilience.

TaiwanICDF Deputy Secretary General Peifen Hsieh pointed out that the Belize Multi-Hazard Risk Management Capacity Building Project builds on the TaiwanICDF’s 7-year disaster risk management cooperation with Belize, which includes the Urban Resilience and Disaster Prevention Project in Belize and the Flood Warning Capacity Improvement for the Belize River Basin Project. Building on the achievements of these previous initiatives, this new project expands cooperation from flood risk management to a broader multi-hazard risk management approach.

Looking ahead, the TaiwanICDF will continue to leverage Taiwan’s expertise in information and communications technology, remote sensing, and disaster risk management to support Belize in strengthening inter-agency coordination, community resilience, and disaster early warning capacity. Through this project, the TaiwanICDF will continue working to deepen Taiwan-Belize cooperation in disaster risk reduction and sustainable development.