In danger: Belize Barrier Reef

The Belize barrier reef is the second largest reef in the world, after the Great Barrier Reef. It is spread over a total of about 960 square kilometres, and reputedly has one of the most diverse ecosystems in the planet. It is home to more than a hundred species of coral, 500 species of fish and hundreds of invertebrate species. Such is the richness and diversity of it, that the reef has been classified as a United Nations World Heritage Site.

The massive ecosystem consists not only of the reef alone, but also of many small mangrove islands and lagoons, along almost the country’s entire coastline. The reef itself is so large that it had to be divided into seven different marine reserves, so as to be effectively managed by the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System. Needless to say, it is considered the backbone of the country’s tourism industry.

In 2009, it was suddenly discovered that the mangroves had fallen prey to massive deforestation. That the coral reef itself was suffering from global warming and rising sea temperatures had been evident for a long time. Reefs are generally sensitive to changes in climate and temperature- they bleach very easily and fail to support too many life forms thereafter. The Belize Barrier Reef was no exception, but the news about the mangroves sent alarm bells ringing, with environmentalists etc scrambling to chart out the consequences.

The reasons for the damage are many. Global warming and rising temperatures have done the most damage, but there are other factors as well. Direct human intervention has wreaked further havoc on the already fragile ecosystem. Tourism has resulted in frequent and invasive human presence- not many people know how to behave in a delicate ecosystem. Shipping and its impacts have damaged the reef to a large extent, inevitably, since the reef stretches along more or less the entire coastline of the country. Overfishing has also damaged the ecological balance in the reef (which is surprising, since the reef is a heritage site and hence should be adequately protected). The reef depends on the fish for sustenance almost as much as they depend on it.

The biggest avoidable cause of the damage to this large and crucial ecosystem is shoddy coastal development. This reef is a global treasure in many ways, and it is the duty of the Belize government to preserve it, protect it, and spread awareness about it. That duty has obviously not been taken very seriously.