Costa Rica Launched Site for the Accounting of its Natural Resources

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The Ministry of Environment of Costa Rica released a new website that provides information regarding the country’s natural resources.

The website www.crn.go.cr , where CRN (Spanish acronym) stands for Accounting of the Natural Resources, is a tool that allows the country to determine if its economic growth is sustainable; in other words, it provides details on the capacity of the country to generate economic growth without a depreciation of the natural assets (air, water, forests, among others). The CRN generates data that provides the government with necessary information for the design of better policies and options for the administration and conservation of its natural resources, promoting therefor the sustainable development of the country.
The page provides its users with information on the contribution of the forests, water, and clean energies to the country’s economy and development.

“The wealth that originates from the natural resources of a country represents its capital or natural assets, these natural assets generate goods and services that translate into economic benefits to the society, for example, food, recreation areas and medicines; however, many of the benefits do not reflect in the country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product), for instance, the GDP will reflect the value of the wood obtained from the forests, but it will not measure the value of other services that are provided by the forests, such as flood control or the long term cost of the depletion of the forest as a result of wood cutting. If you only consider the benefits but not the costs of the use of natural resources, that leads to unsustainable development. The Wealth Accounting and the Valuation of Ecosystem Services (WAVES) is a global partnership program that accounts for the natural capital and services ecosystems provide. Costa Rica is part of WAVES and is taking steps towards ensuring a sustainable development in the country”, explains the website.

Data provided by this new site will allow users and the Government to take educated decisions taking into consideration the effects on the environment and the use of alternative methods to mitigate climate change and implement conservation policies.

(Video is in Spanish with English Subtitles)

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