Researchers praise Costa Rica's environmental performance : 01-02-2008
Costa Rica is officially one of the ten most environmentally friendly countries in the world, a new study has revealed.
The 2008 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) which was compiled by Yale and Colombia Universities, ranked the Central American country fifth overall, citing its rich biodiversity, strong ecosystems and excellent natural resource management.
In particular, Costa Rica was ranked top when it comes to improving its national forestry, with one of the country's main attractions for holiday-makers its protected rain and cloud forests, which are among some of the most bio-diverse on the planet.
The nation also came top for dealing with water stress, irrigation stress and land-burning issues, the researchers revealed at the recent World Economic Forum in Switzerland.
Around one-third of Costa Rica is covered by national parks, which also include several active volcanoes including Arenal and Poas.
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