Traditional Savanna Fire Management Readiness Proposal to facilitate Emissions Reductions in the AFOLU sector in Belize

The proposal argues that shifting fire patterns from the late to the early dry season through Traditional Fire Management (TFM) can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect biodiversity, and create employment for Indigenous and local communities in Belize. It identifies critical gaps in awareness, technology (specifically MRV systems), human capacity, and regulatory frameworks. The proposed 24-month project, budgeted at USD 399,313, aims to develop a Project Concept Note for the GCF and establish knowledge-sharing partnerships via the International Savanna Fire Management Initiative (ISFMI) network.

• High-intensity wildfires in the late dry season in Belize cause significant ecological and economic damage, destroying more than 300 hectares of forest annually and contributing to biodiversity loss and forest degradation.
• Current fire management in Belize focuses on aggressive suppression, which prevents the early dry season burning necessary to reduce fuel loads, thereby increasing the risk of more destructive, high-emission fires later in the year.
• Traditional Fire Management (TFM) has been proven in northern Australia to reduce fire emissions by up to 50% while providing co-benefits such as employment in remote Indigenous communities and improved food security.
• Belize's AFOLU sector is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, primarily due to forest fires, slash and burn practices, and land conversion for agriculture.
• The proposal identifies five primary barriers to implementing ER TFM in Belize: insufficient national coordination, limited organizational capacity, incomplete policy directives, lack of monitoring data/equipment, and poor engagement with affected communities.
• Existing legal frameworks in Belize, including the Forest Fire Protection Act (2000) and the Agricultural Fires Act (2000), are outdated and do not currently allow for the use of fire as a preventive management measure by local communities.
• The project aims to develop a GCF Project Concept Note based on scientific baseline analyses, a gap analysis of the regulatory environment, and an options paper for satellite-based Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) tools.
• The proposal emphasizes gender inclusion by expanding the 'Women in Fire Network' to connect Belizean women with global practitioners and ensuring gender-disaggregated data is collected during monitoring.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2022). Traditional Savanna Fire Management Readiness Proposal to facilitate Emissions Reductions in the AFOLU sector in Belize. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/20220226-belize-isfmi-proposal.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Traditional Savanna Fire Management Readiness Proposal to facilitate Emissions Reductions in the AFOLU sector in Belize. 2022. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/20220226-belize-isfmi-proposal.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Traditional Savanna Fire Management Readiness Proposal to facilitate Emissions Reductions in the AFOLU sector in Belize |date=10 February 2022 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/20220226-belize-isfmi-proposal.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2022traditional, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Traditional Savanna Fire Management Readiness Proposal to facilitate Emissions Reductions in the AFOLU sector in Belize}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2022}, month = feb, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/20220226-belize-isfmi-proposal.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }