Enhancing Food Security Financing through EO-Driven Agriculture Monitoring in Belize
The GDA Agriculture Consortium partnered with the World Bank to develop Earth Observation tools that enhance climate resilience and support data-driven food security financing in Belize’s agricultural sector.
Description
Climate change is threatening food security in Belize, with increasing drought and water scarcity hitting key crops like sugarcane, citrus, and banana. In response, VITO, as part of the GDA Agriculture consortium, supported the World Bank’s Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture Project (CRESAP) by developing Earth Observation (EO) tools to improve agricultural decision-making and build resilience.
Using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 imagery, crop type mapping was conducted across the Orange Walk, Cayo, Stann Creek, and Toledo districts. Sugarcane fields were concentrated in the north, while citrus and banana production was mapped in the central and southern regions, respectively. Deforestation analysis revealed a 20% forest loss in Orange Walk since 2001, with 9% attributed to sugarcane expansion. Drought monitoring using FAO’s VCI and VHI indices identified persistent vegetation stress in sugarcane areas, exacerbated by limited irrigation infrastructure.
These EO products were made available for integration into the Belize Agriculture Information Management System (BAIMS) via WMS services. A GIS officer was hired to support this effort, and stakeholder training was provided. The tools align with World Bank priorities, offering a scalable model for enhancing agricultural planning, climate risk management, and investment targeting.
You can read more about this Case Study here: Harvesting Resilience: Integrating EO in Belizean Agricultural Development
Related Use Case