Future Prospects

Protected Areas In Costa Rica (24)

Due to the current conservation efforts, future prospects of Costa Rica seem promising. Costa Rica already has over 25 percent of its land protected and is renowned worldwide as “the green republic” (11). If conservation policies persist, it is no doubt that Costa Rica will willingly implement most conservation strategies that improve and maintain positive human impacts. For example, several international contributors (the US included) donate funds to maintain Costa Rica's protected forests specifically to promote ecotourism (11). Ecotourism, or placing a focus to educate travelers on the impact they are making on places like the tropical rainforest, allows tourists to be more conscientious in their decisions to recycle, conserve energy and water, and minimize the adverse effects of conventional tourism. This fostering of appreciation will improve Costa Rica in the future because as long as humans are becoming aware of their impact on the world, they can coexist with natural places like Costa Rica.

A Protected Area In Costa Rica (5)

In order to maintain an improvement on the human impacts in the tropical rainforest, Costa Rica must maintain an equal focus on forest conservation as well as other areas of environmental concern. Weaknesses in Costa Rica’s conservation policies exist due to an overwhelming concentration on forest conservation and insufficient attention to other environmental problems that contribute to the deterioration of the tropical rainforest. For example, through the policies implemented by the United States Agency for International Development, otherwise known as USAID, and other organizations, Costa Rica remains a catalyst for new conservation policies but a serious bias is inherent in adopting only these conservation efforts (22). As a result, other human environmental problems such as inadequate sanitation, urban overcrowding, and air and water contamination will accelerate if not addressed (22). By implementing "green" alternatives into their daily lives, the people of Costa Rica can help protect against further deterioration. Using biodegradable products, conserving energy and water, and taking a direct approach to planting more trees is a step in the right direction (28). Architects and designers can also create sustainable hotels, shopping centers, and homes by using stilts to decrease exposure to sun and increase air flow and creating buildings that are well-insulated for hot weather to decrease energy use (28). If Costa Rica places equal focus on mitigation measures (conservation policies), adaptation measures (addressing current environmental concerns), and encourages their people to adopt eco-friendly alternatives, Costa Rica will be able to maintain a balance between the human impacts and the long-term conservation of the rainforest.