In September 2011, the Government of Belize in collaboration with The World Bank (WB) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) presented a Request for Project/Programme Funding to the Adaptation Fund (AF). Belize, under the leadership of the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development (MFSSD), with fiduciary management assistance from the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) as the National Implementing Entity (NIE) and the World Bank as the Multilateral Implementing Entity (MIE), implements the Marine Conservation and Climate Change Adaptation Project (MCCAP) in the coastal areas of Belize.
MCCAP is a five-year project designed to implement a priority ecosystem-based marine conservation and climate adaptation measures to strengthen the climate resilience of the Belize Barrier Reef System and its productive marine resources. Specifically, the project supports:
- Improvement of the reef’s protection regime including an expansion and enforcement of the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Replenishment (no-take) Zones in strategically selected locations to strengthen climate resilience;
- Promotion of sustainable alternative livelihoods for affected users of the reef, and
- Building local capacity and raising awareness regarding the overall health of the reef ecosystem and the climate resilience of coral reefs.