Land Use in Northern Belize’s Sugar Belt: Design of a Drainage Master Plan for the Sugar Industry

  • Land Use in Northern Belize’s Sugar Belt: Design of a Drainage Master Plan for the Sugar Industry

Presentation by Marcos Osorio, M.Sc. at the 2nd Belize National Research Conference, 2019.

 

 

Abstract 

Given the importance of the Sugar Industry to Belize’s macro economy, a study was undertaken to evaluate and support SIRDI’s capability to produce and manage GIS data, particularly topographic and hydrologic, in connection with watershed design and map production, and to design a drainage master plan over selected areas in the sugar belt in Northern Belize. The drainage master plan is intended to improve sugarcane cultivation practices and increase productivity, in parallel with the development of an integrated pests and diseases management strategy; as well as other major challenges such as land and water management, environment and sediments control, soil and topographical conditions. The drainage master plan identified three major watersheds within northern Belize to serve as outlets to the respective catchments and identified the need of secondary and tertiary drains using the Strahler method to set routing of the proposed drain lines and to mitigate impacts on production and improve land use and management. Finally, the cost to implement secondary and tertiary drainage system was estimated.

 

 

 

Key words: sugar cane production, agriculture, landscape modification, hydrology, sugar industry

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