CDB funds Belize road project

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The village of Crooked Tree in Belize is home to approximately 1,000 residents, many of whom need to commute daily for employment or educational opportunities.

Currently, the village can only be accessed via a 5.6km-long unpaved road, or causeway across the lagoon.

During periods of high-intensity rainfall, high water levels in the lagoon regularly overtop the causeway and portions of the road, interrupting access to the community.

To assist with ensuring uninterrupted access to the village, the board of directors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has approved funding of US$400,000 to partially finance a feasibility study and preparation of designs to upgrade the Crooked Tree Road and Causeway.

The village is near popular tourism sites, namely Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary and Chau Hiix archaeological site. Access to these attractions brings significant economic benefits associated with tourism.

As part of the project, a vulnerability assessment of the Crooked Tree community will also be undertaken and mitigation measures identified to improve resilience to climate change.

Funding for the project will be provided through a loan of US$250,000, and a grant of US$150,000 allocated from resources provided by the European Investment Bank (EIB) under the Grant Facility for Climate Action Support to CDB.