Change of course in Costa Rica´s developing economic

model and its social and environmental implications

How the globalization of economy, coupled

with the signing of free trade commerce agreements have caused a change in the

economic structure of Costa Rica, affecting social and environmental sector and risking

a key resource, water.

A TRUTH THAT MAKES COSTA RICA FAMOUS ALL OVER THE WORLD

• Costa Rica is a country that worried earlier in relation to other countries in the region in protecting the environment

• In the 70's began to create its first national parks and protected areas.

• Is well known because of the payment of environmental services

PROTECTED ZONES

A CHANGE IN ECONOMIC MODEL

• A model based on markets like Europe and USA

• This implies a transformation for the rest of the country's activities

• With this change of economical model one big

concern is WATER

IN THE CONSTITUTION

-Law for the integrated management of water resources

-Declaration of water access as a human right

-Declaration of water as a public

By this moment only the force of water is a public good in the Constitution.

ECONOMY PILLARS

Poverty estimation 20% (15%relative, 5% extreme) Pass from a predominantly agricultural country to a service economy Traditional agricultural products: banana, coffee, sugar, cocoa, pineapple, baby vegetables and flowers. Tourism as the fastest growing industry generating more foreign exchange Since the mid-90 INTEL with micro technology (2006 produced 20% of exports) Core services of multinationals Procter & gamble, Coca Cola, Intel, Hewlett-Packard, Skyes, Sony, Amazon, Bank of America, Western Union, Baxter, IBM, Oracle, Walmart, Dole Food Company

Free Trade Commerce Treats

USA, C.A. Dominican

Rep

Caribe community

Canada Mexico

Chile

China Singapour

European Union

Corea del Sur

SOME IMPLICATIONS OF A NEW ECONOMIC MODEL

which we are going to emphasize

• Change in the energy production model

• Change in the approach of touristic offer

• Change in the agricultural production and exportation model

THE PROBLEM OF PRIVATIZING also one of my big concerns and fights

(important for all basic services institutions)

• First hydroelectric plant, Aranjuez, 1884: municipalities and private companies, both domestic and foreign

• 1928 the U.S. transnational The Electric Bond & Share monopolized electricity services: energy crisis

• 1949 the ICE is created • Generation, Transmission and Distribution • 1949 - 15% of the country was covered with electricity • 2009- 98.6% comparable to developed countries • Today ICE Prove power to the country with private

generators (national cooperatives) but the distributor is the ICE

• Again the story is being repeated

INSTITUTO COSTARRICENSE DE ELECTRICIDAD

ENERGY FOR WHAT AND FOR WHO?

Increase of Energy

demand

Requires increase of

Energy production

Implies a change in

actual model of Energy

production

Our REAL need of energy vs global consumerism IMPOSED requirements

-All major projects are designed to export the Energy -Central American electric Market (agreement between countries to make electrical connections) -CR is a country rich in electricity: For now until 2021 we do not need more energy -All electric companies have being privatized except ours. Union Fenosa, originally Spanish, dominates the American market -With fashion for privatization (obviously guided by egocentric economical interests) all companies want to trade without the ICE in Central America

DIQUIS HIDROELECTRIC PROJECT

CONVENIENT AS AN OPEN SKY GOLD MINE !

• The bigest hydroelectric project in Central America

• Will flood 7363.506 Hectares, including Terraba-Sierpe wetland and native indigenous communities that will have to be displaced

• Terraba, a naturally rich and sacred river with it´s sustainable communities

INDIGENOUS COSMOVISION

INDIGENOUS POPULATION

AUTONOMY INDIGENOUS LAW

Is the Hydroelectric energy clean and renewable?

Taking in account the irreversible social, cultural and environmental impacts of this form of energy generation

Wtf ?

Well, I told you this free trade commerce treats just free them to do what they want. We are not free any more!

And the wetland?

Já! What wetland? It was an excuse!!

DILEMMA

• On one side the aspiration of carbon neutrality that requires stopping exploiting petroleum and gas fuels, which affect water and ecosystems.

• Geothermal also involves entering national parks or protected areas.

• The Hydroelectric risks both of them too.

• So, better put at risk water or national parks?

REMAIN STRONG AGAINST PRIVATE INTERESTS

• Assure that the energy generation, no matter if renewable or not, will not be for exportation or private trade.

• Save energy : reduce the energy demand. • Policies to reduce consumption and guarantee

efficiency and savings. • Search renewable alternative energy sources that do

not endanger ecosystems, water or communities. • Respect for communities with special emphasis on

indigenous native communities. • Promote cooperative energy production.

CHANGE OF TOURISTIC OFFER

• 2 million foreign tourists in 2008.

• Most foreign visitors come from USA and Canada 46%, EU 16%

• Since the beginning of 2000, tourism generated more than the export of bananas and coffee together

• with the disadvantage that much of the tourist industry that really benefits economically from this activity belongs to private enterprise, foreign and transnational

ECOLOGIC TOURISM?

• From being an ecologicaly oriented country it becamed a space for a depredator non responsable tourism with no regulation politics.

Arrival of big hotel corporations that constructed as they construct in any

other country, without any respect for natural sourses, mainly water.

They deforested, constructed where fresh water is not abundant. Did non suitable swimming pools and golf courses leaving no water to

communities in the area.

SOLUTIONS MUST BE POLITICS

• Difficult to make them now go away, but totally forbidden more new hotel complex as such.

• Laws to regulate the real sustainability of spaces and activities (seawater POOLS)

• Create and promote sustainable community projects • Promote community forest management-education,

training- sustainable use of resources, maintenance, preservation, forms of regeneration, truly sustainable tourism

• Recycling laws and regulations (mandatory for all other activities of the country)

• And ensure compliance!!

Institutions already exist

• Tribunal ambiental administrative

• Ministerio de ambiente energía y telecomunicaciones

• Ministerio de agricultura y ganadería

• Amplia legislación ambiental

• ONGs

• Fundaciones

CHANGE IN THE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND EXPORTATION

MODEL • An economy based more in the exportation of

products than the alimentary sovereignty.

• Because of free trade commerce treats the country imports the products for consumption:

garlic from China, onion from Guatemala,

potatoes from Spain

SWEET PINEAPPLE

• For over 10 years there has being an exponential increase in the expansion of pineapple monoculture for export.

• Incomings grow 8% per year

• Leading producer of pineapple in the world

• 2007- 1,566,152 tons exported 2010- 4,116,600

This makes us very proud !!

PROUDLY LEADERS IN PESTICIDE USE

DANGEROUS MONOCULTIVES

destruction of primary forests rivers deviation, sedimentation and soil erosion

contamination of groundwater and surface water drainage of wetlands

generation of the pest fruit fly Stomoxys calcitrans that affects people and beasts

exploits the workers with terrible working conditions, incidence of gastric and skin problems, cancer and

malformations

Land is concentrated in the hands of multinationals, so communities are displaced. Ends with food sovereignty

NATIONAL PLATFORM OF PRODUCTION AND TRADE OF IRRESPONSIBLE PINEAPLE

• ¨green make up¨

• Throw pesticides at night

• Threaten workers

• Despite numerous legal claims communities have not been heard by the state institutions, that instead, have supported and defended the pineapple companies

Since 2008, asking to be decreed a moratorium for pineapple expansion, until there is proper planning and control of the

activity, and till studies demonstrate that does not cause impacts to the environment and communities health. And ensure they

follow the environmental legislation, health and rights. But the response from the State has been nil.

Solutions must be politics

• Protecting Water and food sovereignty as bases of human health and social rights.

• Developing must be based in the real needs of the communities.

• Need of a National sustainability agenda were the the economic, environmental and social edges must be valued equally and taken as the key for defining our future.

• Spaces are needed to discuss environmental policies and education of communities

• Real control and legislation for pesticide use. • Study every particular case and give medical attendance to

people already affected.

Government´s lack of credibility

• Ironicly but true, with water crisis, Costa Rica´s government promotes activities that contaminate and end up with the water resourse, afecting nature and communities.

• Pineaple monocultive • Non controled use of pestisides • Open sky gold mines • Petroleum and gas explotation • Unsustainable real estate development • Megaproyects such as port terminals,

marines,international airports in wetlands

Very general conclusions

-Be carefull with privatizing institutions that bring basic needs

-Creation of spases for discussing problematics and generating ideas

-Continue to investigate corrupt politicians and public workers

-Empower public institutions after cleaning them.

-End up with criminalization of social work and activism

http://www.goear.com/listen/75bc5d7/declaraciones-sobre-trabajo-y-ambiente-laura-chinchilla