Costa Rica is Powered by Water

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When considering a retirement destination, most individuals concern themselves with a number of important factors related to quality of life. One of the questions that comes up over and over again pertains to the quality of fresh water. In fact, the quality of fresh water in Costa Rica is ranked among the best in the world. In Costa Rica, water is actually considered a treasure; a treasure that directly impacts the overall quality of life.

Costa Rica is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and holds a strong commitment to protecting them. As a matter of fact, Costa Rica is one of the world’s leaders in nature conservation. Costa Rica also has vast amount of fresh water resources such as springs, waterfalls, streams and rivers which are all found in abundance across the country. The country is able to benefit from many geographic advantages in that its concentration per capita of rivers, dams and volcanoes allow for high levels of renewable energy production. The Costa Rican national park system is designed around its watersheds and natural landscapes. This abundance of natural resources and favorable rainfall levels are beneficial for generating great amounts of hydroelectric power. Costa Rica has generated 98.53 percent of its electricity from renewable sources over the past four years, using its rivers, volcanoes, wind and solar power as a source of energy. A recent statement from the Costa Rican electricity institute (ICE) indicated that 74.77 percent of renewable energy comes from hydroelectric plants using river water, 11.92 percent was geothermal, 11.08 percent came from wind power, 0.73 percent from biomass and 0.03 percent from solar power.

Costa Rica sets the benchmark on a global basis as a prime example of how to successfully harness vast amounts of renewable energy to provide electricity for the entire country including the potential for expansion, but most importantly, never at the expense of its diverse and rich natural environment.

Nature conservation in Costa Rica has spurred policymakers to pledge the ambitious goal of becoming the world’s first carbon-neutral economy by 2021. The country has also issued national decree’s declaring certain rivers to be “pristine” and has enacted a law to keep them as such for now and for future generations.

Whether you are approaching retirement, or looking at living in Costa Rica, it’s important to understand that Costa Rica is a country that has a strong focus on protecting it’s environment, offers great quality drinking water, and uses it’s natural resources sustainably. And remember: ‘Nowhere is there life without water’.