Conservation And Sustainable Use of the Barrier Reef Complex

This project which builds on the achievements of the GEF-funded pilot phase project seeks to operationalize the recently passed Coastal Zone Management Act. This Act provides the institutional framework for the implementation of targeted interventions for biodiversity protection. Belize's coastal zone is made up of globally significant diversity of ecosystems and organisms, including the longest barrier reef (220 km long) in the Western Hemisphere. Five of the marine protected areas (MPAs) targeted in this project are World Heritage Sites.