Belmopan, February 27, 2026.
The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Solid Waste Management successfully convened its first Partners Forum on February 26, 2026, bringing together development partners. The Forum marked an important first step toward deepening collaboration on Belize’s sustainable development and its environmental and climate priorities. Anchored in national frameworks including the #planbelize 2.0 Medium-Term Development Strategy and the Nationally Determined Contributions 3.0, the engagement provided partners with early visibility into the Ministry’s pipeline of priority, investable projects and strategic investments.
The program opened with a strong call to action from Hon. Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Solid Waste Management, who reaffirmed the GOB’s commitment to move from policy to implementation and to translate national strategies into tangible outcomes that strengthen communities, protect natural assets, and build long-term resilience. In her address, CEO Milagro Matus highlighted that the frameworks are in place, the mandates are clear, and the next five years will be focused on implementation at scale.
Technical presentations from the Ministry’s core team reinforced this message by outlining concrete achievements over the past five years, demonstrating institutional capacity. Building on this foundation, the Ministry presented a focused pipeline of priorities designed for partnership and investment. These include scaling up biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services protection, restoration of degraded landscapes, modernizing national data and environmental information systems, accelerating renewable energy adoption, strengthening water security and watershed management, and advancing integrated solid waste management solutions. Each priority represents a ready platform for collaboration, structured to deliver measurable environmental, social, and economic returns for partners committed to sustainable development.
The Ministry views this Forum as an initial engagement in a more structured and sustained partnership process. It established a foundation for stronger coordination, earlier collaboration on project design, and clearer pathways for resource mobilization.
Follow-up consultations will build on the momentum generated, with the aim of advancing project preparation, identifying co-financing opportunities, and aligning national priorities with available financing windows.
The Ministry extends its appreciation to all partners who participated and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Belize’s sustainable development and climate change agenda.
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For more information, please contact:
Mrs. Judene Tingling Linares
Director- Policy, Planning & Projects Unit
Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Solid Waste Management
(+501) 828-5990
corrd.pppu@environment.gov.bz
