Climate change is affecting coastal ecosystems globally, with severe
implications for developing countries that are heavily reliant on their
natural resources for economic growth. In Belize, coral reefs, mangroves
and beaches are the cornerstone of the tourism industry, while coastal
communities rely on mangrove- and reef-based fisheries for food and
income. The growth of the tourism industry is viewed as essential to the
country’s economic development, but this growth is often accompanied
by habitat degradation that directly threatens the resources upon which
the industry depends.
