San José, 26 October 2026 — Costa Rica is well positioned to build on its strong policy and legal foundations to protect, restore and sustainably finance its mangroves, according to a new report “Mobilizing the Mangrove Breakthrough in Costa Rica”, developed by the Global Mangrove Alliance and the Mangrove Breakthrough – and benefit significantly from scaling up mangrove action. 

Costa Rica’s mangroves cover around 392 km² which harbour some of the most diverse and ecologically significant mangrove ecosystems in Central America. The mangroves play a vital role in coastal protection, fisheries, and serve as habitat for diverse species including the West Indian manatee, leatherback turtle and American crocodile. Their soils store more than 20 million metric tonnes of carbon, while the ecosystem services provided by mangroves across the country are estimated to be worth more than US$1.5 billion ton annually. 

Despite their ecological importance, Costa Rica’s mangroves remain under pressure. Nearly 14,000 hectares of mangroves were lost between 1992 and 2014 and the country’s mangroves continue to face a range of threats. Erosion has been the largest driver of loss, while agrochemical pollution from sugarcane and oil palm plantations, conversion for shrimp farming and other development have also contributed to degradation. 

Published as the world meets in Armenia for the Convention on Biological Diversity COP17 to accelerate action on nature, the report identifies the Gulf of Nicoya and Térraba-Sierpe among the priority areas where long-term ecological rehabilitation, stronger monitoring and community engagement could accelerate progress. It estimates that there are 1,891 hectares of potentially restorable mangrove area, including former shrimp ponds, salt mines, and sites affected by hydrological disruption.

“Costa Rica has made great strides in safeguarding its mangroves by establishing solid policy platforms and reflecting increased ambitions in international commitments” said Julio Montes de Oca, Director of Coastal Resilience, National Audubon Society. “As innovative finance mechanisms are rolled out, measures can be implemented in more key mangrove areas, drawing from a wealth of current local community experiences. The incipient formation of a GMA National Chapter will also increase international technical exchange and national multi-level coordination”. 

Strong foundations, but gaps remain

Costa Rica Costa Rica has one of the strongest legal and policy frameworks for mangrove protection in the region, creating a clear policy mandate for protection, restoration, and monitoring. Mangroves are recognised as State Natural Patrimony and public-domain ecosystems, with strict prohibitions on land-use change, drainage and degradation. The National Biodiversity Strategy also has clear mandates for strengthening their conservation. 

Blue carbon is also integrated into national climate and wetland policies, and Costa Rica was the first country in the world to adopt a National Blue Carbon Strategy.

The country has also committed to protecting coastal wetlands through its Nationally Determined Contribution, including a target to protect 100% of coastal wetlands in the National Wetland Inventory and increase their documented area by 10% by 2030.

Susanna Tol, Wetlands International: “Yet, significant opportunities and challenges remain. Thirteen mangrove areas are outside protected areas and still lack management plans, while limited institutional capacity, agricultural pressures, hydrological alteration and coastal development continue to affect effective management. Strengthening monitoring, completing management plans and improving coordination could help translate Costa Rica’s strong legal protection into stronger ecological outcomes.”

Costa Rica has demonstrated that restoration delivers results. Hydrological rehabilitation projects Cuajiniquil and Térraba-Sierpe have restored water flows and supported natural regeneration, while the Puntarenas Estuary project has restored around 300 hectares, making it the largest ecological engineering effort for mangroves in Central America. 

National policies, including the National Biodiversity Strategy, the National Blue Carbon Strategy and the National Adaptation Plan reinforce this restoration trajectory. Advancing restoration will require continued support to complete national restoration baselines, expand hydrological and ecological assessments, strengthen community engagement, monitoring systems, and institutional capacity.

Financing the next phase

Despite Costa Rica’s strong policy foundations, sustainable financing for mangrove conservation remains at an early stage.

Costa Rica’s long-running Payment for Environmental Services programme has mobilised approximately US$750 million and supported more than 21,000 landholders since 1997, but it does not currently extend to mangroves because they are State Natural Patrimony. 

New mechanisms are beginning to address this gap. The Programme for the Management and Recognition of Marine Ecosystem Services (PGRSEM) is piloting financial incentives linked to mangrove-associated livelihoods in the Gulf of Nicoya. In 2024, Costa Rica also approved a Marine-Coastal Biodiversity Incentive Law, establishing a Payment Fund for Marine-Coastal Ecosystem Services.

However, the country does not yet have a national or voluntary blue-carbon market for mangroves, and the long-term revenue models for emerging financing mechanisms are still being developed. Because mangroves are public-domain ecosystems, future carbon finance will need to operate through government mechanisms rather than private project-based transactions.

The report therefore calls for structured, long-term financial strategies, including opportunities to develop marine ecosystem service payments, blended finance, nature-positive investment, disaster-risk insurance and blue bonds.

Future opportunities also lie in international investment in long-term monitoring, restoration, institutional capacity and community-led conservation. 

About the Report
Mobilizing the Mangrove Breakthrough in Costa Rica is part of the Mobilizing the Mangrove Breakthrough in the Americas Regional Report. Coordinated by Wetlands International and Conservation International, it assesses Costa Rica’s mangrove ecosystems, enabling policy and institutional conditions, financing landscape and opportunities to accelerate progress towards the Mangrove Breakthrough targets.

About the Mangrove Breakthrough

The Mangrove Breakthrough is a global movement to value, finance, and safeguard mangroves. The ambition is to mobilize USD 4 billion to protect and restore 15 million hectares of mangroves by 2030, fostering radical collaboration, advancing science-based financial and regulatory decisions, and investing in local leadership.

Media Contact:
Audubon Americas, Julio Montes de Oca, [email protected]