The University of Belize Environmental Research Institute (UBERI) participated in the 3rd World Biodiversity Forum, held in Davos Switzerland, June 16-21, 2024. The forum’s theme, "From Science to Action," resonated with the institute’s mission to turn biodiversity research into practical solutions for sustainability.
The UBERI team presented the "Climate Crossroads: Futures for People & Nature in Central Belize" project. In this presentation, we discussed the role local knowledge has in implementing larger scale models and policies, in the face of increasing impacts of biodiversity loss and changing climate patterns on the environment, livelihoods, and quality of life in Central Belize. We aimed to address the limitations of global and regional models that often fail to capture local impacts. The presentation was featured in the session on "Modelling Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BES) Loss Scenarios to Advance Resilience." This session underscored the need for detailed, local BES scenarios to effectively track and mitigate biodiversity loss and the decline in ecosystem services. These scenarios are crucial for predicting the impacts of various drivers and supporting sustainable practices.
Participating in the World Biodiversity Forum allowed the UBERI team to share our work and learn from others in the field, strengthening existing collaborations and developing new relationships with researchers from across Europe and the world. Supporting our ongoing efforts to address local biodiversity and climate challenges and contribute to sustainable solutions in Belize.
We are gratefully for the financial support for the project from the Swiss Re Foundation,
Swiss Re Institute, AXA Research Fund, WWF, and gratefully also thank EY as a service contributor Swiss Re.
