Building Resilience against Social, Economic and Physical Vulnerabilities
Executive Summary
As with other Caribbean countries, Belize’s small size, openness and physical location make it highly susceptible to social and economic shocks and to natural disasters, particularly tropical cyclones. More frequent tropical cyclones experienced since 1999and new experiences such as severe localized flooding and earthquakes combined with the ongoing World Economic Crisis (WEC) and increasing citizen insecurity all underscore the urgent need for resilience. To meet this need, development efforts over
The 2010 to 2013 period will incorporate measures to improve the economic and social structures and the capacity of its citizens to embrace economic opportunities in the face of the ongoing economic crisis and to proactively manage economic shocks and natural disasters. This will be achieved through focus in the following areas.
Sectoral Focus Areas
1. Enterprise Development. This objective will be realized through measures that support the continued development of traditional and emerging industries and expansion of small, medium and micro-enterprises.
2. International Trade Capacity and Competitiveness. This area covers measures to increase Belize’s market access through better negotiating capacity and improvements in quality management and in the national quality certification capacity.
3. Environment and Disaster Risk Management. Confronting economic and physical shocks re quires the ability to plan adequately and to make adjustments at the individual, institutional and community level. Furthermore, ensuring that individuals have decent living conditions, sources of income and an assurance of resources for future consumption will require the sustainable use of natural resources.
4. Human Development. The ability of each citizen to reach his or her full development potential and to make meaningful contributions to his community requires a sound foundation. The human and social development objectives of the MTDS will be achieved through investment in education and health delivery and in social safety net provisions. The latter will include measures aimed at specific groups, such as women, youth and the aging.
5. National and Citizen Security. Increasing levels of crime as well as continuing interest in securing citizens’ well being require focus on national as well as citizen security issues. This area will therefore encompass those measures that will lend to improved border security and reduced levels of crime.
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