Commissioning of Hydrological Stations on the New River
Belmopan, Belize. October 25, 2022. The Department of the Environment (DOE), within the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, and the National Hydrological Service (NHS) of the Ministry of Natural Resources are beneficiaries of a Regional Project implemented through the Central American Commission of Environment and Development (CCAD for its acronym in Spanish) entitled "Integrated Ridge to Reef Management of the Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion (MAR2R)." In alignment with the collaborative works being done for the restoration of the New River and the NHS Strategic Plan, two new automated hydrological stations have been installed along the New River and two existing stations have been upgraded to automated systems contributing to improved data collection coverage of the New River watershed. To mark this important milestone in the restoration efforts, an official ceremony for the commissioning of the hydrological stations will be held on Thursday, October 27, 2022, at 3pm at Tower Hill, Orange Walk District.
The automated stations will provide timely and accurate information such as water level and corresponding flow rate which are used for many hydraulic and hydrological studies, including flood and drought forecasting, infrastructure design, climate and environmental impact studies and other water management concerns. These stations will strengthen the Flood Early Warning System in the area. The information obtained from these stations will help government agencies to better understand the dynamics of the New River ecosystem and will contribute to more informed decision-making.
It is a criminal offense to interfere with these stations. The public is, therefore, requested to refrain from tampering with the stations.