According to a study by FONAFIFO (National Forest Financing Fund) and the University of Alberta, Canada, Costa Rica has reforested an area equal to 10% of its territory in the last 20 years.

In 1960 the country was 70% forest, however by 1986 only 40% was covered.  This cutting was due to agricultural policies and techniques, when the only way to own a farm that had no owner was to “improve” it, by cutting down the forest and putting livestock on i, according to Arturo Sánchez, director of the University of Alberta’s Earth Sciences  Observation Center.

A large region of Guanacaste was deforested in this way, as well as the Southern Zone and the Caribbean. HOwever in the 1990s the trend was reversed. According to FONAFIFO, in 1997 forest coverage was 42%, in 2000 it increased to  47% and last year to 51%. (26,000 km2 of 51,100 km2)

FONAFIFO conserves 300,000 hectáreas (3.000 km) through its reforestation payment program and stated that the largest areas of recuperation are in Guanacaste, the north Caribbean and the Southern Zone.

Jairo Villegas S. - La Nacion
The Minister of the Environment, Roberto Dobles, anulled the water concession obtained by a group of investors to capture water from the La Cuecha and La Máquina watercourses in Monteverde. (Puntarenas province)

The water is used for ranching and farming.  Dobles sided with a group of residents, who opposed the project, saying that it would damage the environment.
José Miguel Zeledón, Water Director for MINAE, said that the resolution could affect other users who have authorization to utilize resources in Monteverde. He announced that they would analyze all the cases.

Agustín Atmetlla, lawyer for those opposed to the project, said that the concessionaire did not give true details during their application. “They did no mention that this area is forest or of interest for tourism.  The neighbors are very happy, the community is not against investment that is above board.”

The IMN (Costa Rican Meteorology Institute ) has predicted that the weather phenomenon known as El Niño will affect Costa Rica, but not during the upcoming dry season.  El Niño causes a dryer, hotter dry season in the Central Valley and the Pacific.

According to the IMN, the upcoming El Niño will be mild.

Locals are concerned by the news that a foreigner has bought the property owned by Fernando Chávez Altamarino.  The property holds the source of the water supply for the BriBri aqueduct and was bought for $7 million according to Chávez.   The treasurer of the water board confirmed the news to the Diario Extra.

“Essentialy, the Gringo bought the farm from Chávez,  I don’t know the amount.  He was offering to sell us 80 hectares for ¢50 million, so that the community would have water.  ” explained Jesús Porras Ovares.  He assured that the rural water association would continue to administer the system. He also related that Chávez had wanted to sell the farm for a long time to AyA, the city or another entity, but negotiations never came to pass.

According to a resident of the area, who preferred to remain anonymous, the foreigner intends to bottle the water and sell it.