CR

Costa Rica / Environment

Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES)

Costa Rica reversed deforestation by paying landowners $64/hectare/year to maintain forests. Funded through a fuel tax and carbon credit sales, the program doubled forest cover from 26% to 52% in 20 years while creating a $4B ecotourism economy.

Impact: 95
Core Innovation

National program paying landowners for forest conservation, reforestation, and biodiversity protection

Success Metrics

Forest cover doubled in 20 years

26% to 52% forest coverage

$4B ecotourism economy created

Case Study

Costa Rica reversed deforestation by paying landowners $64/hectare/year to maintain forests. Funded through a fuel tax and carbon credit sales, the program doubled forest cover from 26% to 52% in 20 years while creating a $4B ecotourism economy.

Required Inputs

Land

District-wide program

Capital

$15-50M annually

Regulatory

Environmental services law, fuel tax amendment

Details
Year Implemented1997
Population Served5.1M
OriginCosta Rica
Tags & Constraints

Tags

environmentconservationecotourismcarbon credits

Constraints

tropicalbiodiversity richdeforestation risk