Opportunities for climate-compatible coastal tourism: Lessons from Belize

The document details a CDKN-supported project in Belize that identified up to 70% of the coastal tourism sector as vulnerable to climate-related impacts, including coastal erosion, flooding, and biodiversity loss. It highlights the role of 'grey-green' infrastructure and the adoption of a national integrated coastal zone management plan in February 2016 to enhance resilience. The study emphasizes the importance of stakeholder engagement, the use of interactive mapping tools, and the integration of ecosystem services into national policy to protect critical natural assets like mangroves and coral reefs.

• A significant portion of Belize's coastal tourism sector is at risk, with assessments indicating that up to 70% of the sector is vulnerable to climate-related impacts and non-climate threats like coastal deforestation.
• Low-lying coastal areas with elevations between 0 and 5 meters are the most susceptible to coastal flooding, which is particularly problematic as these areas host many existing and planned tourism developments.
• The Government of Belize adopted a national integrated coastal zone management plan in February 2016, along with nine regional development guidelines, to balance economic needs with the sustainable use of coastal resources.
• The project promoted 'grey-green' infrastructure—combining natural vegetation with hard engineering—as an effective and aesthetically superior alternative to concrete seawalls for stabilizing shorelines and preventing erosion.
• Efforts to protect mangroves on the Placencia Peninsula demonstrated high success rates in replanting, with regrowth rates estimated at 98% to 99%.
• The project faced significant challenges due to a short 18-month timeframe and limited funding, which hindered the ability to establish long-term trust and continuous engagement with local communities.
• Data collection was complicated by a lack of downscaled national datasets and comprehensive historic climate trends in Belize, forcing the project to rely on a mix of global projections and local traditional knowledge.

APA

Bood, N., Fish, M., Clarke-Samuels, C., Canto, M., & Cho-Ricketts, L. (2016). Opportunities for climate-compatible coastal tourism: Lessons from Belize. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CDKN_Belize_Inside_Story_final_web-res-002.pdf

Chicago

Bood, Nadia, Marianne Fish, Chantalle Clarke-Samuels, Maritza Canto, and Leandra Cho-Ricketts. Opportunities for climate-compatible coastal tourism: Lessons from Belize. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2016. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CDKN_Belize_Inside_Story_final_web-res-002.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bood |first1=Nadia |last2=Fish |first2=Marianne |last3=Clarke-Samuels |first3=Chantalle |last4=Canto |first4=Maritza |last5=Cho-Ricketts |first5=Leandra |title=Opportunities for climate-compatible coastal tourism: Lessons from Belize |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=June 2016 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CDKN_Belize_Inside_Story_final_web-res-002.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bood2016opportunities, author = {Bood, Nadia and Fish, Marianne and Clarke-Samuels, Chantalle and Canto, Maritza and Cho-Ricketts, Leandra}, title = {{Opportunities for climate-compatible coastal tourism: Lessons from Belize}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2016}, month = jun, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CDKN_Belize_Inside_Story_final_web-res-002.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }