Ecosystem services and hydropower generation in Costa Rica

Abstract

Ecosystem services and hydropower generation in Costa Rica.

The  purpose  of  this  study  is  to  identify  forest  ecosystems  that provide hydrological ecosystem services (HES) relevant for the adaptive capacity to climate change in the hydropower sector of Costa Rica. We  assessed  a  methodological  framework  that  considers  spatial  linkages  between  land  use,  capacity  of  the  ecosystem  to  produce environmental  services,  and  the  utility  that  hydropower  plants  derive  from  those  HES  in  a  context  of  vulnerability  to  climatic  events. Hydropower plants receive HES from 24% of the national territory, where forest cover represents 52% of land use. The watersheds of Rio Reventazón,  Grande  de  Tárcoles  and  Grande  de  Terraba  are  the  more  important  in  terms  of  area  providing  HES.  Approximately  70%  of forest  ecosystems  identified  during  the  course  of  this  study  providing  HES  to  the  hydropower  sector  are  currently  outside  the  national protected areas system. The results of this study are relevant for the implementation of adaptive management plans in forest ecosystems providing HES, and thus, improve the resilience to climate change in the hydropower sector.