There is a project in the works to hopefully stop coastal erosion in Dangriga Town and Hopkins Village.
As viewers area may be aware, Climate Change and global warming continue to cause the gradual washing away of coastal communities in this region, and Belize is equally vulnerable to that type of long-term deterioration. So, to remedy that, the National Climate Change Office is collaborating with Cuba's Institute of Marine Sciences and the GAMMA Institute of Cuba. A week ago, a team of 4 Coastal Development experts arrived in Belize to conduct a comprehensive field assessment under a project entitled "Enhancing the Climate Resilience of Dangriga and Hopkins".
The Government notes that the southern coastline is severely impacted by erosion. Hopkins Village and Dangriga are losing beachfront at an alarming rate. A March 2019 assessment on coastal erosion indicated at that time that the shoreline was retreating about 20 to 25 feet over the past 5 years.
The GAMMA Team commenced fieldwork on Tuesday in Dangriga Town, and they are focusing on an assessment of the beach and the nearshore system. The assessment is expected to be completed by September 12, and it will result in the identification of the appropriate climate technology solutions and the corresponding feasibility study. Then, there will be the design and development of a shoreline recovery and stabilization project for Dangriga Town and Hopkins Village.
