Ethical Traveler has named Costa Rica one of “The Developing World’s Ten Best Ethical Destinations for 2008.”
Ethical Traveler developed its list by examining environmental protection, social welfare and human rights in developing nations throughout the world. The group looked at not only current programs and policies, but at past initiatives and conditions in order to determine trends towards ethical policies. The studies used to determine the scores for 70+ developing nations focused on reducing environmental stresses on human health and promoting ecosystem vitality and sound natural resource management.
The scores were classified into three main categories: Environmental Protection, Social Welfare, and Human Rights.
Costa Rica scored particularly well on the Environmental Protection scale, with very high levels of overall environmental health, biodiversity, air quality, excellent water resources, and a growing use of sustainable energy. The nation also earned the highest possible scores on the Social Welfare and Human Rights scales, which took into account child mortality rates, civil liberties, and other quantifiers.
Significantly, half of the Top Ten nations on the list are Latin American countries striving to catch up with Costa Rica, which has been excelling in ecotourism and sustainable development for some time now.
This prestigious rating can only help the market for sustainable development projects in Costa Rica, as investors are ever on the lookout for favorable prospects and attractive locations.
