"Adapt to the climate" drawing contest launched at the Paso de las Nubes Biological Corridor to commemorate International Forests Day
- The celebration took place in Zarcero, Costa Rica, and brought together different national stakeholders to raise awareness, share and establish adaptation measures for the benefit of forest conservation.
March 21, 2023. In the occasion of the International Forests Day, the regional program Scaling Up Ecosystem-based Adaptation Measures in Rural Latin America (EbA LAC) organized a space, alongside the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) and the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) in Zarcero, Costa Rica, to celebrate good practices in the implementation of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) measures, launch the drawing contest "Adapt to the climate" and carry out the symbolic planting of 15 trees in the Paso de las Nubes Biological Corridor.
"Increasing deforestation poses serious challenges to sustainable development, affecting mainly rural women and populations in high economic vulnerability, so the restoration of forests and the establishment of EbA measures represent a crucial strategy to improve the livelihoods of millions of people, as well as the protection of terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects that harbor in the forest layers" said Rafael Gutierrez, Minister a.i. of Environment and Energy.
According to the United Nations (UN), around 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods. However, as the climate change crisis increases, different ecosystem services provided by forests have been compromised, affecting water availability, the supply of natural resources, biodiversity conservation, and the provision of cultural, aesthetic and recreational services.
The EbA LAC program aims to increase the climate resilience of vulnerable communities and ecosystems in rural areas of Costa Rica, Guatemala and Ecuador through proven, innovative and cost-effective EbA approaches at the landscape level linked to geographic unit platforms, including watershed committees and biological corridors.
"On this International Day, the German Development Cooperation urges everyone to take action in our homes, in our workplaces, in our communities to ensure the conservation of forests, so that new generations can enjoy a greener and healthier future," said Eva Axthelm, technical advisor of the EbA LAC program on behalf of the German Development Cooperation -GIZ-.
“Adapt to the weather" drawing contest
The event also featured the launch of the "Adapt to Climate" drawing contest, which invites all children between the ages of 7 and 12 who have an interest in drawing and enthusiasm for environmental issues and the fight against climate change to submit a drawing showing how the climate is changing and the actions we can take to counteract the effects of climate change..
The invitation is open to boys and girls from all over the country, and those living in the areas of impact of the program, which includes the cantons of Alajuela, Alfaro Ruiz, Grecia, Naranjo, Poás, San Carlos, Valverde Vega, Heredia, Santa Barbara, Sarapiquí, Guácimo, Pococí and Siquirres, are encouraged to participate.
Proposals will be received via e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at the EbA LAC Program office in Rohrmoser. Entries will be accepted from April 1 until 12:00 noon on April 30, 2023. The five winning children will receive a prize consisting of a Tablet.
The EbA LAC program is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) through its International Climate Initiative (IKI) and is implemented by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) as lead agency, in partnership with IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) in three countries: Ecuador, Guatemala and Costa Rica. In Costa Rica, it is implemented in close coordination with MINAE and SINAC.
