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The updated National Protected Areas System Plan (NPASP) seeks to actively link protected areas more effectively to the surrounding landscape.

This indicator seeks to track the number of protected areas identified and managed. 

The National Protected Areas System of Belize is a network of sites designed to protect and preserve Belize's biological diversity and to contribute towards Belize's sustainable development by providing economic opportunities and for the wellbeing of Belizeans. The National Protected Areas System Plan reflects the Constitution of Belize and is founded on the need to ensure that biodiversity conservation becomes an important and integral part of national social and economic development. The guiding principle is to ensure that the potential contribution of the protected areas system to national development and poverty alleviation is maximized, thereby putting it on a sound and rational footing. 

In 2006, the Government of Belize ratified the NPASP, providing the framework for the strengthening of the NPAS. In 2011, Belize embarked on a rationalization process towards effective implementation of the NPAS, including the identification of areas requiring further investment.

Forest Department and Fisheries Department - NPASP (National Protected Areas System Plan)

Forest Department and Fisheries Department - NPASP (National Protected Areas System Plan)

Annual

Number

There are currently 103 protected areas within the NPAS (National Protected Areas System). 52 protected areas lie under the administration of the Forest Department, with a further 9 marine reserves and 12 spawning aggregation sites (many of which overlap existing marine reserves), being administered by the Fisheries Department.

These protected areas encompass nine different management categories, dependent on the legislative framework under which they were designated. There is also a single mangrove reserve. In addition, there are 7 bird colonies (few of which are actively monitored or managed) and four public reserves, both categories established under the Lands Act (Lands Department, Ministry of Natural Resources). 16 archaeological sites are also considered part of the NPAS, and administered under the Institute of Archaeology (under the National Institute of Culture and History). 8 private protected areas are also recognized by Forest Department as being part of the NPAS, though are not yet legally embedded within the national framework. Additional private lands in the Maya Mountains Marine Corridor are legally committed to conservation and are part of the NPAS.

These protected areas include:

•  Two large forest nodes, regionally important for biodiversity conservation:
  •  Maya Mountains Massif, and
  •  Part of the Selva Maya
•  Two RAMSAR sites, declared for their global importance in protection of wetlands
  • Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, and
  • Sarstoon-Temash National Park
•  The Belize Barrier Reef, a biodiversity hotspot that includes:
  •  A globally important network of marine protected areas
  •  Seven marine protected areas forming Belize’s World Heritage Site
  •  Twelve protected spawning aggregation sites, critical for regional fisheries viability
•  A management regime that includes strong partnerships between the Government of Belize and co-management NGO /CBO organizations NPASP Revised Edition 2015 17 Belize’s NPAS, shown in Figure 2, provides the critical ecosystem service of water catchment to supply the national need for clean water, provides protection against storm impacts, is representative of the majority of the ecosystems present in the country, actively supports livelihoods in both the marine and terrestrial environments, and makes Belize a leader in the region in biodiversity conservation.

Protected areas, as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; Dudley 2008), are clearly defined geographical spaces, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. Importantly, a variety of specific management objectives are recognised within this definition, spanning conservation, restoration, and sustainable use:

Category Ia: Strict nature reserve; 

Category Ib: Wilderness area;

Category II: National park; 

Category III: Natural monument or feature; 

Category IV: Habitat/species management area; 

Category V: Protected landscape/seascape; 

Category VI: Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources.  

District

This indicator counts the number of protected areas identified and managed. 

This indicator can be used to track progress towards achieving the primary purpose of the protected areas system plan which is to establish an effective protected areas system for Belize.

Gaps in the system

The NPASP (2005) identified 7 key geographic areas where the designation of some form of protected area status would help complete the National Protected Areas System.

These areas are:

• Northern Belize to the south and west of Shipstern,
•  The central northern coastal plain,
•  The east-central Belize Valley,
•  The karst hills of western Toledo,
•  The Moho River, and
• Parts of the Rio Hondo and New, Belize and Temash Rivers.

All the metadata shown above was extracted from http://protectedareas.gov.bz/technical-documents/.