By Belize Live News Staff: Belize has been selected as one of four Caribbean countries to benefit from the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Sargassum Innovation Quest: Building Resilient Coastal Ecosystems program. The initiative, developed in collaboration with USAID, aims to tackle the increasing challenges posed by sargassum through innovative technologies and sustainable practices.
Belize is participating in two key projects. Caribbean Chemicals, which operates across CARICOM nations, will focus on producing safe agricultural products by reducing toxins such as arsenic and heavy metals in sargassum biomass. This initiative aligns with a circular economy model, using renewable energy to process sargassum sustainably.
The second project, spearheaded by the Waste Recycling Environment Network, will introduce the Static Pile Inoculated Compost Extension (SPICE) composting process in Belize’s coastal communities. The program will provide training and employment for local residents, turning sargassum into high-quality compost and liquid fertilizers while addressing solid waste management issues.
The IDB highlighted that these projects, along with others in Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, are part of a broader effort to transform sargassum from an environmental threat into an economic resource. Participants in the program will also join a global innovators network to share expertise and expand sustainable practices across the region.
The initiative comes as sargassum continues to affect Belize’s tourism, fisheries, and coastal ecosystems. These projects reflect a commitment to turning challenges into opportunities while safeguarding the country’s natural resources and economic stability.
