Today the Friends for Conservation and Development signed a binational collaborative agreement with community leaders from both Belize and Guatemala. This agreement is for the protection of the Chiquibul, Mopan, Macal, and other upper Belize rivers. At the signing ceremony, executive director Rafael Manzanero explained why it's important for the two countries to work together.
Rafael Manzanero, Executive Director, FCD
"The signing of this agreement is actually to combine a whole set of communities in terms of Belize and Guatemala for the protection of the shared rivers which in this case would include the Chiquibul River, the Mopan River, the Macal River, and a part of the Belize River."
"The tangible results surely is one of having a better river system which can happen either through restoration activities upstream and downstream, having the programs of public awareness in those communities in order to prevent more pollution in those rivers, and of course also to build confidence between the communities of Belize and Guatemala."
"Interestingly enough, the Chiquibul River starts in Belize, then it flows in Guatemala where it joins with the Mopan River and then from there as how we know it curves and goes down to Melchor De Mencos then it comes into Belize once again so there's a whole interconnectivity of this river. So anything that happens here in Belize of course affects Guatemalans and whatsoever Guatemalans do on their river, it affects us downstream so it's a whole interconnectivity so yes it is important to see this binational agreement because from both sides, once we protect then of course it's receiving more abundant fresh water for these communities."
