Rio Conventions Pavilion TV, CBD COP11 (16/10/2012) – Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, Senior Policy Advisor and Vice President of the Center for Conservation and Government at Conservation International, explains the transformation in Costa Rican environmental policy in the last quarter-century.

Rodriguez notes how Costa Rica’s investment in democracy, education and healthcare over the past hundred years has equipped it to take action on environmental issues.

Rodriguez recounts that, in the 1980s, Costa Rica had one of the world’s highest deforestation rates. He states that they were responding to what they saw in the rest of the market but soon learnt that their land wasn’t suitable for the planned intensive agriculture.

Rodriguez continues to outline the advanced economic instruments for nature conservation used by Costa Rica as well as the government structures that have facilitated progress.