Editing Geography of Belize (section)

== Environmental issues ==
[[Environmental degradation]] issues in Belize include [[deforestation]], [[water pollution]] from [[sewage]], industrial [[effluent]]s, [[agricultural runoff]], and [[solid waste]] disposal.

Belize is party to the [[Basel Convention]], [[Convention on Biological Diversity]], [[Ramsar Convention]], [[CITES]], [[Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter]], [[International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling]], [[Montreal Protocol]], [[MARPOL 73/78]], [[United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]], [[United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification]], and [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change]].

=== Climate change ===
Belize is highly vulnerable to [[climate change]] due to its low-lying coastal areas, diverse ecosystems, and economic reliance on tourism and agriculture.<ref name=":10">{{Cite book |last=UNFCC |url=https://unfccc.int/documents/630427 |title=BELIZE: A CASE STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE CLIMATE RESILIENT FOOD SYSTEMS ALLIANCE |date=December 2022}}</ref> [[Sea level rise|Rising sea levels]] and [[coastal erosion]] threaten coastal communities and coral reefs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=World Bank |title=Belize |url=https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/belize/vulnerability |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=IMF |date=November 2018 |title=Belize: Climate Change Policy Assessment |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/CR/Issues/2018/11/16/Belize-Climate-Change-Policy-Assessment-46372#:~:text=Belize%20is%20exceptionally%20vulnerable%20to,policy%20gaps%20and%20resource%20needs. |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=IMF |language=en}}</ref> Warming ocean temperatures are causing [[coral bleaching]], which impacts biodiversity and [[Fishery|fisheries]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=UNESCO |date=2022 |title=Building climate change resilience and adaptation of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (Belize) |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/canopy/belize/ |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=whc.unesco.org}}</ref> [[Extreme weather]] events, such as [[Tropical cyclone|hurricanes]] and floods, have become more frequent and intense, damaging infrastructure and livelihoods.<ref name=":10" />

As a country, Belize's 2023 [[greenhouse gas emissions]] are relatively low (7.46 million tonnes), however, it ranks as the 13th highest country for per capita emissions, at 18.13 tonnes per person.<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last=Jones |first=Matthew W. |last2=Peters |first2=Glen P. |last3=Gasser |first3=Thomas |last4=Andrew |first4=Robbie M. |last5=Schwingshackl |first5=Clemens |last6=Gütschow |first6=Johannes |last7=Houghton |first7=Richard A. |last8=Friedlingstein |first8=Pierre |last9=Pongratz |first9=Julia |last10=Le Quéré |first10=Corinne |date=2023-03-29 |title=National contributions to climate change due to historical emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide since 1850 |url=https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02041-1 |journal=Scientific Data |volume=10 |issue=1 |doi=10.1038/s41597-023-02041-1 |issn=2052-4463|hdl=11250/3119366 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ritchie |first=Hannah |last2=Rosado |first2=Pablo |last3=Roser |first3=Max |date=2024-01-05 |title=Greenhouse gas emissions |url=https://ourworldindata.org/greenhouse-gas-emissions |journal=Our World in Data |language=en}}</ref> [[Land use]] change and [[forestry]] together is the highest source of emissions in Belize.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Climate Action Watch |title=Belize |url=https://www.climatewatchdata.org/countries/BLZ?end_year=2021&start_year=1990 |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=www.climatewatchdata.org}}</ref> The government has committed to [[Net-zero emissions|net zero emissions]] by 2050 and has developed [[climate resilience]] and [[Climate change adaptation|adaptation]] plans.<ref name=":11" />