Costa Rica has been awarded the Earthshot Prize, an award created by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to recognize the country's contribution to environmental sustainability. The award was bestowed by the Royal Foundation in the category of Protecting and Restoring Nature. At the awards ceremony on 17OCT in England, Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge presented Costa Rica and four other winners a grant worth £1 million (CDN $1.7m) to develop green ideas.
Costa Rica was nominated by The United Nations Development Program for its efforts to reverse deforestation and its implementation of the Payment of Environmental Services program, which provides payments to communities and farm owners to protect forests, plant trees, and restore ecosystems. As a result of its efforts, Costa Rica has ensured a high percentage of biodiversity will continue to flourish in Protected Wild Areas.
Costa Rica's president, Carlos Alvarado, upon hearing news of the win said; “The country demonstrates once again to the world that we are pioneers in successfully developing conservation models on land. We know that we must be diligent and act now to counteract the impacts of climate change, or the effects will be irreversible.”
The president announced plans alongside The Ministry of Energy to invest the Earthshot prize money in replicating and strengthening the Payment of Environmental Services model in marine conservation, and sharing the program's knowledge and practices globally.
According to a press release, Costa Rica’s forests have doubled in size since the Payment of Environmental Services program began in 1997, which in turn contributed to the country attracting tourists looking to explore the biodiversity and wildlife of protected areas. Eco-tourism has been a $4 billion contribution to the country's economy.
The Earthshot Prize launched after two years of work by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s charity, The Royal Foundation, to support the global effort in protecting and restoring the environment, as well as to identify solutions to environmental issues facing the planet.
For more information on the Earthshot Awards, visit its web site.