The University of Georgia Costa Rica 2014-2015 Sustainability Report UGA Costa Rica 2014 - 2015 Sustainability Report | Page 10

Introduction

60%

60 percent of the UGA Costa Rica
campus is protected forest land.

Costa Rica is a story of a
remarkable turnaround in the
attitude it has taken towards
its relationship with the
natural environment.
According to The Happy Planet
Index (HPI), Costa Rica is ranked
number 1 out of 151 countries
worldwide as the country with the
highest environmental efficiency
in supporting the well-being of its
inhabitants. The HPI is calculated
by aggregating perceived
quality of life, life expectancy,
and environmental footprint.
However, this relatively small
country has not always been
regarded so highly. Prior to 1940,
75% of the country was forested.
By the late 1990’s, logging and
agricultural expansion reduced
forested areas to less than 29%
as Costa Rica experienced one
of the world’s highest rates of
deforestation. Today, however,
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University of Georgia Costa Rica

the picture is significantly
different.
Located on the Central American
isthmus, Costa Rica connects
North and South America and
borders both the Pacific Ocean
and Caribbean Sea. Due to its
unique geographical location,
Costa Rica contains impressive
social and biological diversity
relative to its size of just 51,000
km². Ranging from coastal
plains to rugged mountains and
volcanoes, Costa Rica possesses
around a fifth of the world’s
biodiversity, including 1,239
species of butterflies, 232 species
of mammals, 838 species of birds,
160 species of amphibians, 218
species of reptiles, and 1,013
species of salt and freshwater fish.
With great biodiversity comes
great responsibility. The country
is noted for its national park

25%

of the total land in Costa Rica
has been designated as a
national park or is privately
owned as a preserve.

system, administered by SINAC
(Sistema Nacional de Areas de
Conservacion, or National System
of Conservation Areas), which
oversees the 26 national parks
and over 160 protected areas
in Costa Rica. Approximately
25% of the total land in Costa
Rica has been designated as
a national park or is privately
owned as a reserve, revealing the
commitment Costa Rica has