Belize will receive a US$11,150,000 loan from the Inter American Development Bank (IDB) to improve solid waste management practices, reduce environmental pollution and enhance the image of Belize in the eco-tourism market through better management of its municipal dump sites.
The program will focus on the solid waste management needs of the Western Corridor (Belize City, San Ignacio and Santa Elena), and the islands of Ambergris and Caye Caulker, and will also strengthen the overall capacity of the central government to improve solid waste management. The total population served along the Western Corridor is 119,000 people, which accounts for 40% of the total population of Belize.
The infrastructure investments of the program include the closure of the open dump site in Mile 3 and the construction of a main waste transfer facility to help waste separation and recycling, the construction of a new regional waste disposal facility at Mile 24 and the long haul of wastes volumes for final disposal at the new site. Open dumpsites in San Pedro, Caye Caulker and San Ignacio will be close down and transfer facilities in those sites or in alternative sites will be built.
The institutional strengthening component will assure that capacity within Belize’s Solid Waste Management Agency (SWMA) is in place to execute the project and carry out its mandate.
"Improved solid waste management is very important to Belize, providing a much needed service to the population and protecting the environment, a critical resource for sustainable economic growth," said IDB Representative in Belize Caroline Clarke.
The IDB loan, to be disbursed in a 4-year period, has a 25-year term with a 4-year grace period at a variable interest rate. Local counterpart funds will total US$3,639,000, which includes financing from OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID).