It's not often that a country does the right thing to save the planet, but when it does, that country deserves to be praised for its actions.
What Is The Belize Barrier Reef?
The Belize Barrier Reef is 190 miles long and it is part of the Mesoamerica Barrier Reef System. It is the second largest of its kind in the world behind the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Roughly 1,400 species live in the Belize Barrier Reef, such as manatees and marine titles. There are also endangered species like manatees and hawksbill turtles that live in the area.
Visitors to the Belize Barrier Reef can check out three unique Caribbean atolls and the Great Blue Hole. Nearly 200,000 people in Belize depend on the barrier reef to survive.
Why Was The Belize Barrier Reef In Danger?
In 1996, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated it as a World Heritage Site. Subsequently, UNESCO classified the Belize Barrier Reef as being endangered. The organization cited many environmental concerns, such as nearby oil exploitation, fewer mangrove trees, and illegal land grabs.
Numerous environmental groups called out Belize for not protecting the barrier reef, fearing that both humans and animals could be in trouble if exploitations continued. UNESCO even cited Charles Darwin's praise of the Belize Barrier Reef as a reason to save it from danger.
How Did Belize Provide A Solution?
The people of Belize took action to save the barrier reef. Led by environmental groups, the Central American nation passed a 2012 referendum with 96 percent of citizens voting to ban offshore oil drilling. In 2017, the government enacted a moratorium on oil exploration.
On June 25, UNESCO removed the Belize Barrier Reef from its endangered list. Last year, the organization decided not to place the Great Barrier Reef on the same list. UNESCO praised Belize for enacting a "visionary plan" to stop the environmental hazards and for its incredible "level of conservation" of the barrier reef.
"The Belizean government deserves tremendous credit for partnering with the NGO sector and taking concrete steps toward safeguarding this truly special seascape — and that work will continue," said Nicole Auil Gomez, Belize Country Director for the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Marco Lambertini, the Head of the World Wildlife Fund, expressed thanks to the Belizean government for creating "a sustainable future" for the people and animals who live near the barrier reef. Hopefully, this story inspires other nations to make these same environmental changes.
