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The 11 Conservation Areas |
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Places To See -
Parks, Reserves and Protected Areas
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In 1988, Costa
Rica was divided up into 11 different conservation areas, collectively known as
SINAC (Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservacion). These 11
conservation areas are responsible for the management of the public
lands of Costa Rica and are under the department of MINAE (Ministerio
de Ambiental y Energia).
The 11 Conservatiton Areas
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MINAE is responsible for managing the
biodiversity of Costa Rica while SINAC is responsible for the
conservation and sustainable use of these areas.
“In the past, local communities were never consulted about changes
greatly affecting their lives, such as prohibiting their use of a
resource (hunting, firewood extraction, etc.). This resulted in
misunderstandings and hostility towards conservation efforts.” (RAMSAR,
Managing Beyond the Borders)
In a new approach to Costa Rican wildland management, SINAC is
implementing a decentralized management approach. Instead of
management emerging from one central governmental agency, agencies in
each of the eleven locals are now controlling the management of their
respective wildlands. Active participation by the surrounding
communities is now integral to the success of conservation and
sustainable use of these natural areas.
“SINAC promotes participation of all groups, public and private,
national and international, who share the common objective of
preservation, restoration and protection of ecological equilibrium and
biodiversity. SINAC now functions as a technical organization
decentralized from the central government and with a legal mandate
which permits a great amount of flexibility in carrying out its
mission.” (RAMSAR, Managing Beyond Borders)
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