By Alejandra Vargas M.
Environment Performance Study Evaluated 149 countries
Obtained a score of 90,5 due to its environment performance in 2008
Country excelled only by Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Finland
Costa Rica is the fifth cleanest country in the world, according to prestigious Forbes magazine publication. This is a result of environmental practice analysis about air and water quality, and natural vitality, among others, done by scientists from the University of Columbia and Yale in 149 countries.
The research is named “Environmental Performance Index”, corresponding to the 2008. According to Forbes, Costa Rican economics is based on a strong eco-touristic industry which is benefit by government and private actions taken in the country to protect biodiversity.
Besides, the publication emphasizes that the country can improve this index if they fulfill the initiative to become the first nation with a carbon neutral balance (C-Neutral) for the 2021. This can be achieved just if the government implements all the acts, laws, incentives and budgets necessaries for the environment protection actions that will compensate the quantity of pollutant gases generated from here.
Forbes publication highlighted that Costa Rica has been efficient avoiding deforestation, but, it scores a total of 97 points in forest, air pollution and climatic change categories; contrary to the other Latin American countries.
This occurs because reforestation is done in the territory through planting certain species of trees to sell their woods.
However, Forbes also emphasizes that the country isn’t so “kind” with the marine resources, having the lowest score of the categories when referring to marine resource protection. As a total, the country obtained a score of 90,5 from 100.
The rest of the list. In this list: Costa Rica excelled only by Switzerland (95,5), Sweden (93,1) and Norway (93,1), and Finland (91,4).
As seen, Costa Rica is the first Latin American Country present in this ranking, followed by Colombia in place number nine.
That South American country protects its coffee plantations, as a source of profit exportations. Ironically, the presence of the guerrilla and drug dealers in the plantations make the fields last longer”, said Forbes.
Scientists emphasized the drop of the United States in the list. Right now, it’s far away from the top ten.
