Strengthening Climate-Resilient Agriculture in Belize with EO Data
Using satellite data, Belize is boosting agricultural resilience and sustainability through better crop monitoring and climate risk management, with support from ESA GDA Agriculture AID and the World Bank.
Description
In 2022, sugarcane, banana, and citrus farming contributed 4.6% to Belize’s GDP, but climate change is increasingly threatening the country’s agriculture. Droughts and changing weather patterns, particularly in the sugarcane-producing Orange Walk district, have led to crop failures and reduced productivity. To address these challenges, the Government of Belize launched the Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture Project (CRESAP), which focuses on improving agricultural resilience using data-driven solutions.
A core component of CRESAP is expanding the Belize Agriculture Information Management System (BAIMS), integrating Earth Observation (EO) data to monitor crop health, deforestation, and drought conditions. With the help of VITO, as part of the GDA Agriculture consortium, tools like crop type classification and deforestation analysis have been developed. Satellite data also identifies climate-induced variability, pinpointing areas in need of irrigation and better water management infrastructure.
Crop type classification maps were developed using multiannual Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data, pinpointing the distribution of sugarcane, citrus, and banana across major producing districts. These high-resolution maps revealed spatial patterns consistent with national statistics and demonstrated excellent accuracy.
To assess environmental sustainability, the project integrated Global Forest Watch data with ESA WorldCover and the newly generated crop maps. In Orange Walk district alone, over 70,000 ha of forest loss since 2001 was detected—half now grassland, with 9% linked to sugarcane expansion.
Climate variability and drought monitoring, using indicators from the FAO ASIS Toolbox, exposed persistent precipitation deficits in the north. The analysis identified a mismatch between drought-prone areas and existing irrigation infrastructure, correlating strongly with reduced vegetation productivity in rainfed sugarcane zones.
All EO layers developed by VITO were made accessible via WMS for use in BAIMS, and integration is underway as MAFSE expands its GIS capabilities. This initiative showcases how EO can underpin resilience-building, support climate adaptation strategies, and inform agricultural investment and planning in developing countries.
You can read more about this Case Study here: Harvesting Resilience: Integrating EO in Belizean Agricultural Development