Environment
Belize
Climate
tropical climate characterized by extreme heat and humidity; a rainy period from May to November; a dry period from February to May
Land use
other
33.7% (2023 est.)
forest
58.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 4.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 1.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 2.2% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
46.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
2.3% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually
101,400 tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled
10.4% (2022 est.)
Environmental issues
deforestation; water contamination due to sewage, industrial discharges, and agricultural runoff; challenges in the effective management of solid waste disposal
Total water withdrawal
municipal
11.4 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
industrial
21.2 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
agricultural
68.4 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
total emissions
662,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke
3 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids
662,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions
10.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources
21.734 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International environmental agreements
party to
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements