Yesterday, we told you about the roads in the Bahia area of Caye Caulker. The rains have caused them to flood but because it doesn't run off quickly, residents are forced to wade through it. The concern was brought to us by a resident but today, the area rep explained that he was already aware of the issue and that he's already working on it. He told us his tentative plans via Zoom.
Andre Perez, Area Rep., Belize Rural South
"Let's start first with this one, this area of Bahia is an area that has been always a low lying mangrove area. That was subdivided back in 2003/2005, it was the PUP administration that gave out those. Then over the years even for the past 13 years when the previous administration was there, nothing was done as it relates to streets and light. So people kept on struggling for years."
"Looking at all that is there with the flooding, is it clear this is nothing something to be politicized, it is something that demonstrates what we have been talking all along about climate change and rising water levels and a classic example to use is Bahia."
"We're dealing with it, we're working with it. I have discussed it earlier before this report came out. yesterday in Cabinet I discussed it and I shared everything with the prime minister, he's very much aware of it, including the estimates because you can't just be speaking about it and saying we need help, come with something tangible and that is what I've done. So the estimates are calling for at least 500 truck load of white mall needed."
"To bring one barge load of hardcore which is approximately 12 to 14 truckload taking it to the western highway, transporting it to the port, and bringing it to Caye Caulker, each barge load is going to cost just over $12,000. If you do the maths and we need 500 loads, we're talking almost half a million dollars. Obviously this isn't money the village council can take care of and obviously this goes to the national level but half a million dollars is no two cents there to get."
"The best way right now is to get the material barge in from San Pedro."
"The most important thing is transporting the materials from San Pedro to Caye Caulker but getting that barge to come from Caye Caulker to San Pedro, it cannot come empty. It does not burn water, it burns diesel. So we're trying to defer the cost."
"Caye Caulker is blessed with good sand at the back of the island and doing it right and following all the proper procedures, we can extract and transport the sand from Caye Caulker to San Pedro and that would defer the cost and going back with the material, that can be done within a period of one to three months."
The Caye Caulker Village Council issued a statement over Facebook stating that the chairperson Seleny Pott has reached out to the CEO of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing, who has committed to providing additional assistance. They have also engaged the Chairman of the Belize Tourism Board as well as contacted the companies that owe royalties for quarry permits.
The statement continues, quote, "At this time, the Caye Caulker Village Council is calling on the Ministry of Natural Resources-specifically the Department of Mining-and on our Area Representative to halt the distribution of new permits and recommendations to companies that profit from dredging while refusing to work with the Village Council. This practice encourages unsustainable exploitation of our natural resources. One that is needed to maintain our streets. Our beautiful white sand is being removed too close to the island, weakening its stability, and dredging often occurs outside the designated areas, harming our fishermen and threatening the future of our fishing industry." End quote.
