Costa Rica gets $56 million in donation and debt-forgiveness for protected areas

The Costa Rican government is receiving nearly $56 million in donations and debt write-offs to expand its forest and marine conservation programs and become the first developing country to meet UN goals on protected areas.

Costa Rica will use the funds to increase its protected tropical forests from 25 per cent of its national territory — 1.3 million hectares — to 26 per cent.

The goal is to meet Costa Rica's commitments on environmental protection under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity by 2015.

Original source: Canadian Press