Guidelines for the application of the rehabilitation protocol and the maintenance of the Protected Areas of the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica.

This protocol is a management instrument with technical and legal foundations based on the Forestry Law 7575 of Feb 1996 and the Urban Planning Law 4220 of Nov 1968. It is an instrument for decision making that promotes the conservation of urban biodiversity. The guide is derived from a reforestation protocol for the rehabilitation and maintenance of protected areas in the GAM. This instrument was developed by the Municipality of San José, the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) and the National Power and Light Company (CNFL). The instrument establishes guidelines for the recovery of protected areas near bodies of water in urban areas; it also delimits and describes the geographic zone where it should be applied. The document establishes the species to be used when restoring these areas, a planting protocol, techniques for soil management and conservation, and agroforestry management. The guide served as the basis for the preparation of the National Policy for the Protection Areas of Rivers, Streams, Creeks, and Springs 2020-2040. In addition, and in response to a mandate from the Comptroller General of the Republic, SINAC and the Costa Rican Institute of Housing and Urbanism (INVU) promoted the development of the Strategy for the recovery of tree cover and protection of the protection areas of rivers, streams, creeks and springs. This strategy is mandatory for all municipalities in the GAM.

Overview

Type of instrument:

Legislative, regulatory and strategic instruments›Dedicated strategy, plan, or law

Challenges addressed

Ecologic connectivity
Soil quality
Water management (e.g. reuse)
Green space management (e.g. accessibility)
Watershed restoration/water quality
Flood risk: pluvial and fluvial / soil permeability
Heat stress and heat island effect
Landslide risk
Air quality
Noise
Social cohesion
Social equity
Nature appropriation / stewardship
Reconnection to the biosphere / environmental education
Human health, comfort and well-being

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

The guide establishes qualitative criteria for ecosystem restoration (soil, forest). This instrument, when incorporated into the aforementioned Strategy for Tree Recovery, reiterates the need for its application by local governments.

Targeted (peri-)urban areas:

Parks and (semi)natural urban green areas

Blue areas

Green areas for water management

Derelict areas

Urban green space connected to grey infrastructure

Good practice characteristics:

Multifunctional NBS support

Sustainable in the long-term

Potential to be replicated / upscaled

Innovative

Governance

Government body/bodies

Initiating body:

SINAC

Instrument design:

Details about how the instrument was designed:

SINAC, as the governing body of the country's protected areas, received technical support from the Municipality of San José and the CNFL for the preparation of the guide. The collaboration was horizontal and inter and transdisciplinary.

Instrument implementation:

Type of involvement:

Most of the land in the city is in private hands. According to current legislation, the land surrounding bodies of water is a protected area and must maintain a minimum forest cover (10m on flat land and 50m on sloping land). In relation to the aforementioned, municipalities must ensure that these areas are maintained with the aforementioned forest cover. Currently, there is marked noncompliance with the regulations, so the municipalities must carry out administrative and judicial processes for the demolition of gray structures and the recovery of the protection areas.

Type of non-governmental actors involved:

Through individuals or companies owning land with water body protection areas.

Targeted actors:

Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)

Private: household, real estate developer, business , financial

Citizens or community groups (CBOs), NGOs, NGOs, etc.

Financing

Sources of funding:

Public regional budget

Budget:

Unknown

Details about instrument financing:

Each municipality should invest in the plant material used to recover the protected areas as well as in their maintenance and care. Additionally, it should invest resources in administrative and legal actions to ensure that private landowners respect the legislation on protected areas.

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Is a monitoring framework in place?:

Did an evaluation take place?:

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

According to the analysis of orthophotos of the MOCUPP URBANO 2021 (Soil and land cover monitoring in productive landscapes), there is a greater forest cover in the riverside areas of the GAM.

Success factors and lessons learned:

SINAC and INVU should accompany local governments to ensure compliance and implementation of the guide. It is an instrument of recent application and the policy and strategy that accompany it are even more recent. It is successful because it promotes awareness among citizens about the importance of protecting the protection areas of water bodies and the benefits that the conservation of ecosystems offer.

Sources and further information

References

List of references:

SINAC, Municipality of San José, CNFL ( 2019) Guide for the application of the rehabilitation protocol and maintenance of the Protection Areas of the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica. Available at https://huelladelfuturo.cr/sites/default/files/2020-07/guia-reforestacion-gam.pdf ( accessed 22, June 2022). Law 4220, Urban Planning Law published in the Official Newspaper La Gaceta on November 15, 1968 Volume 2 Page 740. Available at http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?param1=NRTC&nValor1=1&nValor2=35669&nValor3=0&strTipM=TC( accessed 22, June 2022) Law 7575, Forestry Law published in the Official Gazette La Gaceta Number 72 scope 21 of April 16, 1996. Available at ( accessed 22, June 2022) MINAE (2020). National Policy of Protection Areas of rivers, streams, creeks and springs 2020-2040. Available at http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?param1=NRTC&nValor1=1&nValor2=35669&nValor3=0&strTipM=TC ( accessed 22, June 2022). SINAC, Municipality of San José, CNFL ( 2019) Protocol for rehabilitation and maintenance of the Protection Areas of the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica Available at http://www.edumovil.com/conectividad_ecosistemas/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Protocolo-Reforestacion-Rehab-Mant-de-AP-en-la-GAM.pdf ( accessed 22 June 2022).

UNDP 2021 . URBAN MOCUPP . Available at http://mocupp.org/mocupp-urbano/ ( accessed June 22, 2022 ) CBIMA- UNDP ( 2021) Results of Biological Monitoring Brigades in CBIMA. Unpublished

Interview(s):

SINAC . Aimará Espinoza Ulate. Head of the Central Conservation Area of San José. Erika Calderón Jiménez. INVU General Manager Jenaro Campos Zamora . Environmental Classroom Program of the Municipality of San José.

Photos

S Pucci 2020