What is Costa Rica doing?
Costa Rica means rich coast. Christopher Columbus thought
it was a country rich in minerals when he arrived here near the
modern day city of Limón on the Caribbean. The mineral
riches never materialized. It was centuries later that Costa Rica's
wealth was found in its biodiversity.
Today, more than 25 percent of Costa Rica is under some form
of protection. This compares to the worldwide averages of about
three percent.
While Costa Rica has protected land since 1828, it didn't create
its first national park until 1969. By 1990, the country had 230
different protected areas, falling into eight categories ranging
from completely protected reserves to national parks where tourism,
research and construction is allowed.
About 12 percent of Costa Rica are considered national parks
and other strictly protected areas. In more recent years, the
national parks and surrounding buffer areas have been organized
into 11 regional conservation areas or mega parks.
Article on Costa Rica Conservation
Zones
This is in addition to the large number of private reserves.
Since the 1980s, the number of private reserves and refuges has
grown rapidly, totaling several hundred by 1996 and equal to an
estimated two to five percent of Costa Rica's territory. Many
of the most widely known and visited wildlife reserves in Costa
Rica are actually private reserves, for example, monteverde, La
Selva, Rara Avis and Marenco.
But all these areas - private and public have been encroached
on as populations move to the very edge. This threatens to
undermine the wildlife reserves and an important industry
- ecotourism.
For
example, the resplendent quetzal of the Arenal volcano and
monteverde Cloud forest region, is a colourful, long-tailed
bird that depends upon wild varieties of avocado. It will
migrate from protected zones to agricultural zones depending
on where the avocado is currently in season.
Costa Rica has developed a multi-million dollar industry around
the resplendent quetzal. By not addressing the needs of the
quetzal in the buffer zones, they will drive it extinct. The
local economy that has developed around it will also go extinct.
Taking steps
Costa Rica has taken steps. It created the National System
of Conservation Areas that bolsters the buffers zones by providing
support for sustainable agricultural practices.
With the Canadian International Development Agency, the World
Wildlife Fund Canada is working in the Arenal Conservation Area
that buffers monteverde and other protected areas to promote
strategies that integrate conservation practices with viable
economic development.
The real threats to Costa Rica's parks are not farmers but the
lack of opportunities they have. Poverty can force farmers to
use unsustainable agricultural strategies and shift from region-to-region
with few options but to clear new land as the old degrades.
Through the Canadian project, many small-scale, income generating
projects have been introduced on a trial basis, such as improved
dairy pasturing, animal husbandry, local handicrafts, coffee
roasting, tree nurseries, fruit canning and drying, organic
farming, ecotourism and a medicinal plant nursery.
The aim is to help break the cycle of poverty and environmental
degradation, and foster the idea that conservation and social
and economic well-being go hand-in-hand.
Arenal Conservation Project
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