The Economy of Costa Rica
Ecotourism and Payments for Ecosystem Services
Costa Rica restored its forests and built a tourism industry around nature, using payments to landowners who protect trees.
Nature as an asset.
Deforestation
Forest cover fell to about a quarter of the land by the 1980s.
PES
From 1997, a payment for ecosystem services programme paid landowners to conserve or plant forests.
Recovery
Forest cover rose to more than half the country.
Tourism
Millions of visitors come for nature and adventure.
A paid tree
A farmer receives yearly payments for keeping forest on his land.
Assuming conservation and growth conflict
Costa Rica shows they can go together.
Key takeaways
- Forests fell then recovered.
- PES pays landowners.
- Tourism uses nature.
- Growth and conservation can align.
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