UNESCO supports post-disaster needs assessment of Belize Culture Sector

A Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) is currently being conducted of the Culture Sector in Belize as a result of the impact of Hurricane Lisa which impacted the island as a category 1 storm on November 2, 2022.  Hurricane Lisa impacted the island with hurricane/tropical storm force winds resulting in flooding to the low-lying regions of Belize City and the communities of the northwest rural Belize, as well as the capital city Belmopan.

The Belize Culture Sector was among the affected Sectors which included Housing, Infrastructure, Agriculture, Health, Education and Tourism. Led by the Government of Belize, the PDNA pulls together information into a single, consolidated report and details information on the physical impacts of the disaster, the economic value of the damage and losses, the human impact as experienced by the affected population and the related recovery needs and priorities.

The PDNA of the Culture Sector is the first of its kind to be executed in Belize and also examines research institutions, built heritage and archaeological sites, moveable heritage, collections, depositories, living heritage and culture and creative industries. Related recovery needs and priorities of the Cultural Sector will be determined. The consolidated PDNA report highlighting the culture sector will contribute to a comprehensive recovery framework for Belize.

The PDNA is undertaken with the contributions of the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) and its four institutes/departments, the Institute of Archaeology, the Institute of Creative Arts, Museums of Belize, and Houses of Culture and the Institute for Social and Cultural Research, as well as the overall coordination of the Belize National Commission for UNESCO with technical advice from the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean.

This activity was supported by the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund. We wish to thank its donors: the Qatar Fund for Development, the Government of Canada, the Kingdom of Norway, the French Republic, the Principality of Monaco, ANA Holdings INC, the Republic of Estonia, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Slovak Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Principality of Andorra, the Republic of Serbia.