In other news about the Barrier Reef, the UNESCO World Heritage Center has written to the Government of Belize to inquire about the planned expansion of the Port of Belize, and the possible impacts it can have on the marine environment.
As we told you, the Ashcroft Alliance's Waterloo Investment Holdings Limited is planning to expand the lands owned by the Port to create a new cargo area and bulk cargo facilities. This new area would also include cruise terminal facilities. As part of this proposed development, there is a plan to dump 5 million cubic meters of dredged material into the Caribbean Sea.
In a letter dated February 23rd, 2021, Mechtild Rössler, the Director of the World Heritage Center, wrote to Ambassador Bassam Said Freiha, the Permanent Delegate of Belize to UNESCO. The letter was also copied to Dian Castillo Maheia, the CEO of the Ministry of Culture, and Beverly Wade, the Focal Point for World Heritage.
The letter says, quote, "The project entitled 'Cargo Extension and Construction of Cruise Terminal & Cruise Tourism Village of the Port of Belize' is reported to include the dumping of 5 million cubic meters of dredged material at sea in the immediate proximity of the World Heritage area, e.g. the South Water Caye Marine Reserve. The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for this project, which is available at the government website, does not seem to assess the possible impacts of the development on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property." End quote.
In her letter, the Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Center then goes on to ask the Belizean officials to provide comments on the status of the Environmental Impact Assessment regarding impacts on the World Heritage site.
