Protected Areas of Belize
Protected Areas of Belize
In 1996, Belize passed the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) Act, and is Belize’s national conservation trust.
Since then, the protected areas landscape has taken shape and continues to expand. Currently, there are 103 protected areas that form Belize’s national protected areas system (NPAS), with categories that encompass:
- Nature reserves
- National parks
- Marine reserves
- Private reserves
- Wildlife sanctuaries
- Forest Reserves
- Natural monuments
- Bird sanctuaries
- Spawning aggregation reserves
- Archaeological reserves
Since the Protected Areas Conservation Trust was established, PACT has been accredited national implementing entity (NIE) status for the Adaptation Fund, as well as granted a fiduciary role for such agencies as the World Bank, the Meso-American Reef Fund (MAR Fund), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the Belize Nature Conservation Fund (BNCF).
Protected areas are the perfect way to explore and be adventurous while contributing to the conservation of Belize’s natural resources and to local communities!
These sites are either co-managed by Non-Governmental Organizations or Community Based Organizations along with the Government of Belize. However, the day-to-day tasks, patrols, maintenance, and overall management is carried out by these organizations. Over the years, protected areas have evolved from solely focusing on conservation and have embraced being eco-tourism destinations.
While it has been a challenge, with continued efforts- many of the larger organizations have been successful. Still, there are a few hidden gems throughout Belize, which we encourage you to discover.
Visit the APAMO Belize website for more information: https://apamobelize.org/resources/belize-protected-areas/
