Costa Rica wins 2010 Future Policy award for pioneering legal protection of natural wealth*
By the Costa Rica News Staff
From the global summit on biodiversity in Nagoya, Japan , Costa Rica was announced as the winner of the 2010 Future Policy award.
The prize, issued by the World Future Council, in recognition of the country’s 1998 biodiversity law. The Central American country would like to be the first developing nation to meet UN biodiversity commitments.
Costa Rica funnels funds from a fuel tax, to pay for nature reserve management and environmental services like clean air and biodiversity protection.
Forest cover has risen from 24% in 1985 to close to 46% today because landowners are paid to preserve old-growth forests and to plant new trees.
Costa Rica ranks third in the global Environmental Performance index and first in the Happy Planet index.
Just this month, the country has also received nearly $56m in donation and debt write-offs, to expands in forest and marine conservation efforts.
*SOURCE: thecostaricanews.com