Belize Flood Risk

Belize Country Report –
Status, Advances, and Needs
Rudolph Williams and Eden Garcia
Hydrology Unit/University of Belize
2/18/2009
Background
Climate : Subtropical
Seasons
Wet: June – November
Transitional: December –
February
Dry: March - May
Temperature: 70° – 85°F
Rainfall 1500mm – 3800mm
Population estimated 2007
311, 500
Risk Situations and Disasters in Belize
• Lies the Tropical Atlantic Hurricane region
– Hurricane threatens every three years
– Threats more frequent in the northern part of
the country
• Floods oftentimes accompany Tropical
systems
– 39 identifiable river basins
– 18 Major watersheds
Settlements at Risk of Flooding in Belize
• There were some ~263 populated places
• Of these 263 settlements, 163 (62%) lie
within areas at risk of flooding.
• 149 are in floodplains which flood annually
• 11 in areas which have a flood recurrence of
20 years
• 3 areas with a flood recurrence of 1,000
years
Belize Flood
Risk Map
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Guatemala
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Belize City
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Belmopan
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San Pedro
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Settlements
District boundaries
International boundaries
Major rivers
Flood risk
No flood risk
1: Exceptional flood risk (1,000 yr)
2: Every 20 years
3: Every few years or annually
4: Swamp or marsh forest
5: Savanna plain / saline plain
6: Swamp or mangrove
7: Very poorly drained / herbaceous swamp
8: Permanent water bodies
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Data sources: Belize Land Information Centre,
Belize Tropical Forest Studies King et al 1992
Recent Disasters – TS ARTHUR
Accumulated rainfall (May
29th – June 4th 2008) 254
mm (10 in) - 152 mm (6 in)
500 year flood event
5 persons lost their lives
2 Major Bridges destroyed
Kendal Bridge
Mullins River Bridge
Roads damaged
Numerous Homes
destroyed
Crops destroyed
Recent Disasters – TD 16
Accumulated rainfall (May
13th – 20th October
2008) 547 mm - 105
mm
1000 year flood event
2 persons lost their lives
Bridges Flooded
Roads damaged
Culverts destroyed
Numerous Homes destroyed
Crops destroyed
At least a combined 146 communities 98,594 persons
were affected by TS Arthur & TD16
Settlements in the Belize at Risk of Flooding
• The Rio Bravo - upper, middle and lower confluence
with Blue Creek & Rio Hondo. Albion Island :San Antonio, San
Roman and Santa Cruz; Douglas; San Victor
• New River - Middle and lower. TowerHill, San
Estevan, Santa Cruz; Caledonia.
• Belize River - Middle and lower -Roaring Creek to
Haulover Creek, north side of Belize City. Crooked Tree
lagoon/wetland Biscayne, Grace Bank and Davis Bank
Middle and lower Sibun River. All coastal communities in
the lower Sibun River watershed including Gracie Rock,
Cedar Bank and Freetown Sibun.
Settlements in the Belize at Risk of Flooding -Cont’d
• Manatee River - Gales Point.
• North Stann Creek - Middle and lower Middlesex,
Pomona, Melinda, Hope Creek and Sarawee, and northside Dangriga Town.
• The Sittee River - Middle and lower – Sittee River
villages
Technologies used to Prevent and Mitigate Disasters
• Modeling GIS
– Land Information
Center &
Hydrology Unit
– CAFFG
• Forecasts
– Historical data
– Expert Judgment
– Hydrologic
Modeling
• Data collection
• Telephone
• Satellite
• Internet
Advisories
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Radio
Television
Talk Shows
Internet
Needs for the development of Information and
Communications Technology
• NEMO
– More Trainer of Trainer Courses in Supplies
Management & Damage Assesments
– A communication network down to the Village
level
– A functional and effective early warning
system to alert vulnerable communities
– Computerization-and networking of Plans at
all levels using the recently acquired
'Cassandra' software.
Needs for the development of Information and
Communications Technology - Cont’d
• Data Collection
– rivers levels and rainfall data should be
automatically uploaded electronically to the
database using VHF radio signals, satellite
and computer networking
• Advisories
– In the event of a Dam failure evacuation
routes and safe zones should be identified so
that the public may quickly move toward
safety.
Chalillo Hydropower Project EWS
•EWS Project - component of the Belize
Electric Company Limited Environmental
Compliance Plan
•Redundant submersible depth transducers
detect reservoir level changes that exceed
the possible maximum decreasing rate
• Such a rate will be considered a dam
failure
Chalillo Hydropower Project EWS
•Datalogger via VHF radios and a repeater system
activate siren alarms in all vulnerable
communities
•Signals will be simultaneously transferred to the
NEMO, NHMS, BECOL, Police, Medical Headquarters
via a similar automated VHF radio communicating
network
• Mandatory system test before every flood season
Thank You