Costa Rica is a truly unique place. Sitting along the narrow spine of land that joins the North & South Americas, it has a fascinating history as well as being abundant in natural beauty. Its name literally means ‘Rich Coast’ in English – and it is easy to see why.
The tropical climate, as well as having the Caribbean Sea on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other, has rewarded Costa Rica with a vast range of wildlife. Although only making up 0.03% of the surface of the planet, it contains almost 6% of the world’s biodiversity.
Thankfully, successive Costa Rican governments have recognized the importance of this fact, and have put in place measures to protect this precious and fragile ecosystem.
So, let’s take a look at Costa Rica’s environmental efforts in more detail and see how they are setting an example of what can – and should – be done elsewhere to ensure that we look after our planet.
Sustainability
The key to Costa Rica’s environmental outlook is ‘education and engagement’. With such an abundance of natural beauty, tourism is only to be expected, but this can have a negative impact if not monitored carefully. By investing in education, including environmental issues, Costa Rica has increased awareness of the impact of everyday life upon the local environment. Costa Ricans not only take care to limit their own impact, but they also engage in programs such as the Bandera Azul (Blue Flag) and Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST). Programs like these are an incentive to the population, encouraging them to make more environmentally friendly choices and helping them feel more connected to the process. Through this, people have a sense of responsibility, making sure their own, local environment is kept to a specified standard.
Renewable energy
While it is true to say that Costa Rica’s unique geography and small size has helped a lot, it still has to be said that its record on sustainable energy is very impressive. Portugal, for example, was praised in 2016 for running for 4 days on renewable energy. For some years now, Costa Rica has run on renewable energy for about 300 consecutive days. By 2021 it aims to be 100% ‘carbon neutral’, which should not present too much of a problem considering it already generates 98.5% of its electricity through renewable sources.
The secret behind this is, first and foremost, forward-thinking. The government invested early in renewable energy programs, using the resources they had to hand, like the dozen or so volcanoes (5 of which are still active), the plentiful rivers and the two oceans either side of the country. Having invested, the government kept renewable energy as a priority and has maintained that focus, with further hydroelectric and geothermal plants planned. With fewer manufacturing industries in the country and a relatively low population, demand for power is not as great as others the same size. However, their outlook and forward-thinking is a shining example of how things could be done.
Reforestation
Costa Rica learned the hard way as to how important the trees are. In 1940, about 75% of the land was forested. By 1985, however, that had fallen to 21%. Focus had been fixed on getting rid of ‘unproductive’ land, which meant that trees were felled to make way for industrial plants. By the 1990s, soil quality worsened, becoming infertile. The whole system began a rapid decline and the country suffered as farmers and markets felt the effects.
The government, seeing the terrible effects on the economy, quickly realized the benefits of looking after the environment. They established national parks and promoted ‘eco-tourism’. They introduced grants (National Forestry Financing Fund) to landowners to encourage them to plant trees, safeguard biodiversity and protect the scenic beauty of their land. Through these measures, they have been able to double the area of forested land in just 30 years.
Costa Rica’s environmental efforts are unparalleled throughout the world. They have proved it can be done. With dire warnings from eminent scientists and experts, continually telling us the dangers we face from climate change, it is surely time for other countries to take up the challenge and follow the example that Costa Rica has set.