Belize has three national entities that are in the process of seeking GCF accreditation. This readiness will assist the MED and BSIF with addressing several institutional and policy gaps that were identified for their accreditation. In addition, national entities such as the University of Belize (UB), National Climate Change Office (NCCO), and the Ministry of Blue Economy & Disaster Risk Management (MBEDRM) – key entities that are working toward addressing Belize’s climate targets – are in need of support to update policies and strategic frameworks to better inform their future plans and initiatives. The main barriers to addressing these needs are human capacity constraints and a lack of institutional frameworks that will guide the work of these entities.

The goal of this Readiness is to strengthen the institutional capacity of key offices and entities in Belize who play a role in advancing Belize’s climate agenda and increasing the country’s resilience to climate change impacts. The overall objectives of this readiness are to strengthen or develop legal frameworks, strategic documents, plans and policies that will enhance and align the work of these entities to match the needs of Belize’s national frameworks. Another important objective is the increased access to climate change information through a campaign strategy for the NCCO/MED and the development of an education model for UB that focuses on climate change and environmental health research.