Belize, July 29 -- The World Bank Group's Board of Executive Directors has approved a US$20 million Development Policy Credit with a Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (Cat-DDO) for Belize. The operation provides emergency funding in the event of a natural disaster and supports a targeted reform agenda to strengthen the country's climate and disaster resilience.Belize, with a population of approximately 430,000, is among the world's most vulnerable countries to climate and disaster risks. Ranked third among small island developing states for disaster risk and fifth for climate change risk, Belize is increasingly exposed to hurricanes, floods, and coastal erosion. Nearly 60 percent of the population lives near the coast, and over a third r...