Costa Rica case study

Question 1

What was Costa Rica the first to do about biodiversity?

Answer 1

First tropical country to halt and reverse deforestation

Question 2

Which country in Latin America is the most politically stable? and what did it replace its abolished military with?

Answer 2

Costa Rica
THe budget was redirected to health and education in 1948.

Question 3

Why did Costa Rica in 1987 have the highest rate of deforestation?

Answer 3

Agricultural expansion, logging, and urbanization.

Question 4

How does agricultural expansion continue in some regions of Costa Rica?

Answer 4

Replaces abandoned pastures, reducing connectivity and producing mainly monoculture cash crops which require large amounts of industrial fertilizers.

Agroecology is practiced in some areas (e.g., shade-grown coffee) - slightly better for biodiversity, still allowing canopy cover.

Question 5

What are Costa Rica’s four main legislation?

Answer 5

Environmental legislation
- Conservation and sustainable management of natural resources.
Environmental Regulations
- Regulates activities to minimize environmental impact.
Biodiveristy protection regulations
- Protect endangered species and their habitats
Environmental compliance
- Enforces compliance with eco-friendly practices.

Question 6

How different types of protected areas does Costa Rica have?

Answer 6

> 30% of national territory is designated for conservation.

• 160 protected areas
• 30 national parks
  Managed under the umbrella of SINAC and MINAE (department of ministry of Environmental and Energy)

Question 7

Where is La Amistad, International Park?

Answer 7

It is the Transboundary protected area, that is managed between Costa Rica and Panama.

Question 8

What is PES and what does it do?

Answer 8

Payment for ecosystem services compensates landowners for conserving forests and protecting watersheds, which fosters a sense of stewardship among local communities.
This is financed by a tax on fossil fuels.

Question 9

How does Costa Rica promote biodiversity?

Answer 9

• Aims to achieve decarbonization by 2050, by investing in renewable energies.
• Reducing emissions and carbon footprint, by changing 70% of buses and taxis to electric by 2035.
• Ecotourism - companies can get a sustainable tourism certificate which recognizes them as a sustainable and environmentally friendly organization.

Question 10

How much of the world’s biodiversity research is done in Costa Rica?

Answer 10

25%
Obtained funds via ‘debt for nature’ deals.
Costa Rica has made many bioprospecting agreements with global pharmaceutical companies
(e.g., Diversa in 2002)