By Marco Lopez and Andre Habet
BELMOPAN, Wed. Feb., 26, 2025
UK-based Equilibrium Research is no new kid on the block when it comes to crafting plans for protected areas. They’ve worked internationally for 35 years. Nigel Dudley, conservation ecologist, admits that Belize’s protected areas governance landscape is one of the most unique he’s seen. The small organization, whose members also include co-founders Sue Stolton and Hannah Timmins, is working with local environmental consultant Amanda Acosta on a road map to improve protected area governance in Belize.
The organization’s online profile states that it focuses on creating “practical solutions to conservation challenges from concept, to implementation, to evaluation of impact.” In an interview with Climate Spotlight, Dudley shared that they will only be developing a road map and would not be involved with crafting any policy.
“It’s not our place or right to make recommendations,” he said.
In 2021, Belize finalized the Blue Loan Agreement and the Conservation Funding Agreement with The Nature Conservancy, valued at USD $364 million. A milestone commitment under these agreements, referred to as the Belize Blue Bond, is for the country to protect up to 30% of its ocean. In November 2024, Belize passed legislation to carry out this expansion of its protected ocean space.
While this is passed in the laws, enforcement and implementation remain the struggle.
The Equilibrium Research team shared that they are currently in a learning process – soaking in data on Belize, the protected area governance system, and comanagement from stakeholders. They are doing face-to-face meetings, answering questions, and visiting marine protected areas as a part of this work.
These interactions, the published literature, work done by local and international NGOs in Belize, and current policy should help the team working on the roadmap chart a beaten path the government can use to implement the protection of Belize waters.
They shared that they have found a lack of resources to be the number one challenge countries face when implementing protected area policy. And while Belize is better off than most places, Dudley shared the implementation of policy will not be easy or perfect.
Amanda Acosta, a Belizean-born environmentalist, has worked in protected area management locally for years. Her role with the Equilibrium Research team is to provide local expertise and to facilitate the team’s understanding of the unique challenges facing Belize.
Building a robust management policy for Belize’s priceless marine environment will ensure that the services it provides to communities and the country at large remain intact. It will also help contribute to climate adaptation efforts on the ground by further strengthening these ecosystems we depend on through protection.
Countless consultants have worked in Belize on research, roadmaps, and recommendations, yet we still lack the framework needed to be confident in our protection measures locally. Whether or not the work conducted by Equilibrium Research will fill this gap and be any different from those that have come before is yet to be seen.
For now, this work constitutes a sliver of progress on the path to protecting the Belizean blue.
