The Fourth National Communication (FNC) and First Biennial Update Report (BUR) Project aims to provide Belize with the Enabling Activities necessary to prepare and report its FNC and BUR to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), with the overall goal to strengthen and maintain the national capacity of the country for continuous fulfilment of its commitments under the Convention and to provide updates on activities undertaken to implement the Convention.

The FNC will supplement the development of institutional climate change responses and enhance national capacities, contributing to raising and incorporating climate change issues into the national development agenda. Additionally, the project will enhance the production of knowledge and information based on national priorities and it will create effective policy dialogue. Strengthening of Belize’s national technical and institutional capacity will assist in mainstreaming climate change activities into sectoral and national development planning priorities identified by sector experts. Furthermore, it will expand and improve on the work carried out for the First, Second, and Third National Communications.

The main components of the FNC project are the: a) national greenhouse gas inventory for the reference years 2015, 2017, and 2019 utilizing the IPCC guidelines; b) integrated vulnerability and adaptation assessments of the impacts of climate change and adaptation measures for key productive/principal growth sectors and priority areas using updated and detailed country specific climate scenarios; c) socialization and mainstreaming of climate change adaptation and mitigation issues and activities; d) preparation of the Fourth National Communication Report for Belize to the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC and e) preparation of the First Biennial Update Report for Belize to the UNFCCC. objective of the GEF PPG is to develop the project concept into a full project: Integrated management of production landscapes to deliver multiple global environmental benefits. As described in the project concept (PIF/child project concept note), this project aims to mainstream biodiversity conservation and sustainable land/water management into production landscapes in Belize and build resilience to climate change and addressing threats to biodiversity, and land and freshwater resources degradation.

The FNC is partly focused on the assessment of potential impacts of climate change on the most vulnerable development sectors, along with the integration of adaptation measures into the process of national planning and policy formulation to address impacts and vulnerabilities. The assessment will also incorporate development of downscaled climate models with updated climate change vulnerability and impact scenarios, including a socio-economic baseline.

In undertaking this assessment, a strategy will be designed, as applicable, to link and improve the Vulnerability and Adaptation studies with relevant projects or activities that have taken place or are ongoing in order to build upon previous knowledge. Documents on V & A and related works will be reviewed and will form a baseline for the V & A assessment.

The consultancy team is expected to lead a multi-sectoral team in assessing Belize’s vulnerability and developing impact scenarios for the study areas while proposing potential adaptation options and policy options for addressing vulnerability in key sectors.  This team is also expected to provide an assessment of possible impacts of climate change on the natural and human resources of Belize based on projected changes in regional and global climate.