As it is known, wetlands are a very important part of our environment, their impact in our daily lives involve reducing the impacts of floods, helping deal with pollution, improving water quality, among many other things. Costa Rica has 12 wetlands that are considered Ramsar sites, which means, wetlands considered of international importance for conservation due to their ecological and biological importance.

Costa Rica has been taking steps towards the protection of these sites, and has now announced that the country will be using a tool developed in Norway known as the “Nature Index” which monitors and shows the trends in biodiversity in major ecosystems and keeps track of the species, using a large number of indicators which can then be used to define clear targets to improve nature management.

The tool will be used in 11 of the 12 Ramsar site wetlands, with the purpose of establishing the current state of the ecosystems in these sites. According to Wlfran Murrillo and Jose Carlos Leal from the Arenal Tempisque Conservation Area, measures have been taken to rehabilitate 3,805 hectares of the Catalina and Bocana wetlands within Palo Verde National Park, while in Corral de Piedra and Mata Redonda the total number of hectares rehabilitated add to 3,300.

Other wetlands of importance such as the Caribbean Northeast Wetland (which includes Tortuguero National Park, Barra del Colorado and the North Frontier Corridor) the Conservation Areas are working on the implementation of a management plan that includes measures to adapt to climate change.

In Costa Rica wetlands also have a great importance in the area of Eco-tourism, they are visited every year by thousands of tourists many interested in the different bird species found in these areas while others simply enjoy the connection with nature.