Chapter 6: Sustainability—A National Case Example: Costa Rica

Scholars and pundits laud Costa Rica’s pursuit of sustainability. Indeed, compared to the rest of the Central America and the Caribbean, Costa Rica has exemplified proactive conservation policies. It has led the way in setting aside vast swathes of land and now officially protects more than 25% of its land. Costa Rica has also managed to save much of its beachfront property from resort development and has limited destruction of its coral reefs and coasts by placing much of the areas under a protected status. Costa Rica, finally, has played a leading role in regional reforestation and conservation efforts by experimenting with different relationships between nongovernmental and governmental actors in ways that has helped redefine policymaking.