Kramer's work on Belizean fisheries project featured
The relationship between Belize and Guatemala is complex. The history goes back hundreds of years and begins with a territorial dispute between Spain and Britain over who rightfully owned the region that would later become Belize. Guatemala has picked up the feud after gaining its independence from Spain and argues 4,900 square miles of Belizean land – which amounts to over half of the country – belongs to them. The entire nation of Belize is roughly the size of New Hampshire.
This conflict has resulted in illegal settlements, logging and fishing as well as poaching of the area's wildlife. To make matters worse for Belize, their forests are also being threatened by the development and oil exploration threats.
In an attempt to help resolve these conflicts, the EcoLogic Development Fund is working to establish a bi-national fisheries project between communities residing along both sides of the Sarstoon River-the body of water that forms Belize's southern boundary with Guatemala. Creating a project in an internationally-disputed territory is unusual and something most organizations shy away from. But because poverty is the driving force behind Guatemala's actions, EcoLogic believes establishing a healthy working relationship between the two nations could solve several of the regional conflicts.
"On both sides, people are struggling for survival," says David Kramer, Senior Manager of Impact, Learning and Innovation at EcoLogic. "In Guatemala, there are population pressures and hunger issues to deal with."
