Environmental Management in Geothermal Development: Case History for Costa Rica

Abstract

The great biological diversity of Costa Rica represents one of its biggest resources, and it’s a focal point of the country’s policies of environmental protection. For this reason the country is recognized worldwide as a leader in protecting the environment. This characteristic constitutes an important challenge for developing the geothermal energy according to these policies, due to a great part of the recognized resources that are associated to areas with different degrees of environmental protection.
This document discusses the different environmental aspects related to the geothermal resources at the Miravalles Geothermal Field and Las Pailas Geothermal field, how the environmental management has been carried out and the results of this management so far. As a conclusion the feasibility of the sustainable development of geothermal projects can be shown as a tool for protecting the environment, but also as a means to recover the environmental quality in areas that have been previously affected by the human activity.