Belize

Understanding Belize’s Risks

Belize is the 61^st highest exposed country to relative mortality risk from multiple hazards in the world, according to the Natural Disaster Hotspot study by the World Bank (Dilley et al. 2005), and 8^th ranked country from 167 for climate risk (Harmeling 2009). Located in one of the most active hurricane areas of the world, Belize’s population of only 300,000 is hit by a major storm on average every three years. While these are the principal hazards affecting the country, it also faces some minor seismic and tsunami risk. The relative lack of transport and flood protection infrastructure, high levels of poverty, and concentrations of urban centers in low lying areas with poor access to information and health care create extreme levels of vulnerability.

Sharing Data

As part of Belize’s commitment to implement their national spatial data infrastructure, the World Bank has provided technical support to its GeoNode installation, spatial data management related activities, and data/metadata quality assurance and control. The World Bank conducted training on spatial data management for 25 participants in January 28 – February 1, 2013. Belize has deployed an open data platform and continues to upload data.