@misc{37167,
title = {Monitoring Progress Toward a Prosperous, Sustainable Future: Belize Final Report},
author = {Delevaux, Jade and Ruckelshaus, Mary and Wade, Beverly and Dario, Carlie and Batista, Natasha and Blanc, Pauline Lola and Bood, Nadia and Martinez, Leroy and Samayoa, Omar},
editor = {Callau, Vanessa and Guerry, Anne  and Kimbrell, Elana and Llaguno, Duval and Watson, Gregory and Wilson, Zoe },
year = {2025},
doi = {10.18235/0013713},
abstract = {This document outlines the activities and results of the Belize pilot project under the Regional Technical Cooperation (TC), “Transforming Policy and Investment Through Mainstreaming Rapid Approaches for Natural Capital Assessment and Accounting.” This TC was funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), implemented by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and executed by Stanford University. The main beneficiaries and co-designers of this TC are Belize's Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation, the Belize Blue Bond Finance Permanence Unit, and the Ministry of Economic Transformation, and the technical work was led by the Natural Capital Project team (Stanford University). This project also received support from the Gordon and Betty Moore and a National Science Foundation grant. 

Belize has long been a leader in integrating natural capital approaches  quantifying natures benefits to people  into policy and finance to support its coastal and ocean-based, or “blue” economy. However, like most countries, Belize currently lacks the comprehensive tools and institutional systems needed to measure and report on progress towards the social and environmental goals outlined in these results based finance instruments. Without a clearly defined KPI framework and a science-based Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system, it is challenging to track progress, demonstrate results, and attract additional investment (see Glossary for terms). Addressing this gap is critical for Belize to fulfill its commitments under the Blue Bond and Project Finance for Permanence (PFP).

This pilot brought together a transdisciplinary team, including local government agencies (the Blue Bond Finance Permanent Unit and the Ministry of  Economic Transformation), WWF-Belize, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and Stanford's Natural Capital Project (NatCap). Together, the  worked to equip Belizean leaders with: i) a KPI framework linking nature finance to socioeconomic outcomes, ii) a monitoring tool (the Blue Economy Jobs survey) to track people-positive KPIs associated with Belize's blue economy, and iii) a plan for creating a central platform (a “dashboard”) for monitoring and  haring progress on KPIs from across Belize's blue economy sectors, in order to inform national policy and finance decision-making.},
url = {https://doi.org/10.18235/0013713}
}