Support for social mobilisation, facilitation and community co-management of natural resources; development of community-based sustainable livelihoods of non-timber forest products in and around selected protected areas; support for innovative models of green livelihoods of fishing communities through mariculture and development; and community led monitoring and knowledge dissemination.

This objective would be achieved through: (i) support for social mobilisation, facilitation and community co-management; (ii) development of community-based sustainable livelihoods of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in and around the selected protected areas; (iii) support for innovative models of green livelihoods of fishing communities through mark-culture development; (iv) community-led natural resources vigilance; (v) and knowledge dissemination, as findings are presented to public sector agencies and beneficiaries who were involved in the project to validate results and add inputs where necessary.

Approximately ten (10) preliminary meetings were held in various targeted communities in the first stage of the project to sensitize project beneficiaries about the SNRL project. Participants at these meetings included village council leaders, community-based organizations, cooperatives and individual community members. Meetings were also held with relevant NGOs working in the target areas.
 Terms of Reference were developed and used to solicit requests for consultants to conduct a training of trainers program in business management and organizational development. This training was organized for all those groups which have submitted applications and those who are interested in the training, particularly those with projects approved for financing. Training was also conducted in pig rearing for two groups; the San Miguel group received training on November 11, 2015 and on August 18, 2016. In March 2017, a contract was signed with a consultant to conduct training in Natural Resource Management to members of the community groups whom were interested in being a part of the Natural Resource Awareness Teams. This training was done through five regional workshops. Training was conducted this August 3 and 5th, 2017 in business management and introduction to computers for the Sarteneja Lionfish Jewelry Group. Training was conducted in December 2017 in food handling whereby the participants received a Food Handlers certificate after the training that is valid for one year. Technical assistance is provided to participating community groups on a constant basis. Assistance has been mainly in preparing the Environmental Management Plans. BEST’s Technical Officer worked with members of these groups in preparing these plans. Technical assistance was provided in 2015 to the San Felipe Honey producers and Sarteneja Honey producer with their bee keeping projects. Technical assistance in organizational strengthening and record-keeping was provided on a monthly basis to San Miguel Pig Growers by a local non-government organization. Additional technical assistance in pig rearing was provided to this group in August 2016 and in January, February and June 2017. Pig rearing technical assistance was provided in 2016 to a second pig rearing group namely the Cristo Rey Pig Growers. Technical assistance was provided this quarter to Los Buenos Amigos Cooperative in record-keeping and pineapple production. Assistance was also provided to Seven Miles Women’s Group in plant propagation.

The Sustainable Natural Resource-Based Livelihoods (PSNRL) Project was funded by the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF), through the World Bank (WB) and was implemented by the Belize Enterprise for Sustainable Technology (BEST), on behalf of the Government of Belize (GOB), directly under the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE).

Japan Social Development Fund; Belize Enterprise for Sustainable Technology