Environmental Compensation Actions in Costa Rica: Disparity between Commitments and Actions

Introduction: Environmental compensation is a legal-administrative instrument used by agencies that supervise the environmental impact assessment (EIA) to offset irreversible impacts generated development projects. The usually framed in principle of ecological equivalence, which seeks equate losses due with net gain obtained compensatory actions. Methods: We analyzed records projects have merited an plan registered National Technical Secretariat Costa Rica (SETENA) between January 2018 and June 2020. Results: Seventy-four were analyzed; just over 75% them corresponded infrastructure while rest concerned exploitation activities materials resources. main elicited plans were: deforestation destruction riverbanks (13%), earthworks (15.5%), poor water management administrative faults or non-compliance commitments (62%). measures conducted building school (20% projects), support for education programs (17%), reforestation (>15%), although actions such as purchase supplies, donation equipment local communities arrangement roads causeways also recorded. In only three projects, replacement impacted habitat was projected damage. Discussion: do not endorse spirit return on components equivalent those generate respond had been considered during preliminary evaluation project. sanctioning based economic valuation does guarantee losses. Therefore, must be integrated evaluations identifying these early stages separating from faults.