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Costa Rica will invest 90 millions dollars to pay for environmental services |
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The government of Oscar Arias announced that beginning January of 2009, it will have at its disposal $90 million to invest in the Payment for Environmental Services (PSA) system, which incentivizes landowners to make a commitment to conserve the forests, reforest surrounding areas, or to protect the aquifer mantles.
 Robert Dobles, Minister of Environment and Energy, explained at a press conference that with these funds it is anticipated that almost 300,000 hectares of land will be protected. This plan will also motivate owners to maintain and increase their crops and yield.
Costa Rica has been applying the PSA incentive structure since 1997 and to date the system has allowed for the safeguarding of 602,000 hectares of forest in private hands, thanks to the incentives given to some 2,400 landowners. |
Ecotourism and Nature 
