Climate Costa Rica
The richness of Costa Rica's ecosystems has been able to develop thanks to an indispensable ally: the climate. Located between the 8th and 13th degrees of north latitude, this small Central American country enjoys a tropical climate where each region is characterized by particular natural conditions. From the plains of the Pacific to the high peaks of the Central Valley, heavy rains, dry seasons and humid forests influence the diversity of Costa Rican territories. The Caribbean coast and the south of the country enjoy a humid tropical climate while the Pacific coast enjoys a dry tropical climate. The country has only two seasons, the dry season and the wet season. However, the seasons have little influence on the temperature which remains relatively stable, hence the other very poetic nickname of Costa Rica: the eternal spring. Each season has its advantages, but whatever happens the mercury rarely goes below 20°C!
Dry season and green season
The dry season is the summer season. It begins in late December and ends in late April or early May. During this period, some regions, such as Guanacaste and part of the province of Puntarenas, do not receive rain for almost six months. Temperatures are warm and generally between 30 and 35 °C. This is the best time for tourists to enjoy the sunny days: the risk of rain is very low and a beautiful blue sky sets in from dawn to dusk. Be careful though, December and January are generally quite rainy and this concerns the whole territory... Even if we are theoretically in dry season!
The rest of the year, from May (traditionally from San Isidro, May 15th) to the end of December, the winter is characterized by a rainy season also called "green season". If the landscape is so green in Costa Rica, it is indeed thanks to the rain: with nearly 2,926 mm/year of rain per year, Costa Rica is the sixth country in the world where it rains the most. During the green season, showers are recurrent and it can rain up to twenty days a month. The regions most affected by the green season are the humid lowlands of the Caribbean coast and the southern Pacific coast. On the Osa Peninsula, an immense biological sanctuary, the nickname of green season takes on its full meaning: the rain reveals the beauty of the vegetation of a particularly luxuriant green. Some people even prefer this humid climate where the tropical vegetation reveals infinite shades of green. The rivers swell, the waterfalls regain their splendor and the sunsets are particularly striking. Small subtlety however: the wet season is not the same in the east and in the west of Costa Rica. The Pacific coast is less humid than the Caribbean and South Pacific coast where rain is present all year round. In the green season, the morning is often sunny, giving way, in the early afternoon, to rains sometimes torrential, but often of short duration. However, the rains are less intense in July thanks to the phenomenon of the "little summer" called el veranillo. In June, after Midsummer's Day, which is celebrated on June 24, the veranillo lasts an average of two weeks. Announced by a very violent storm, it offers a summer respite at the beginning of the rainy season. This is one of the best times to visit Costa Rica, which receives fewer tourists in this low season: you will enjoy the advantages of the green season without the disadvantages! Finally, on the side of the mountains, the altitude makes you lose a few degrees: the temperatures are much cooler and can go down to 5°C.
In the heart of the tropical climate
Costa Rica's climate, however, is not limited to its dry and green seasons. Located on the Pan-American Isthmus, between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer, the small country is subject to complex weather conditions and is increasingly affected by climate change. Its micro-climates can be surprising and the weather can change very suddenly. Every year in Central America hurricanes kill hundreds of people, destroy infrastructure and crops and sometimes even cause flooding. Periods of drought also have devastating effects: the soil in tropical regions has been subject to severe erosion for thousands of years and the thin layer of soil is consequently very poor. The ecosystems are moreover weakened by a continuous sunshine which causes a strong heat followed by a strong evaporation. On the Caribbean coast, more and more floods hit some cities and villages where many houses are built on stilts. Due to its geographical position, Costa Rica is practically not threatened by hurricanes, those strong tropical storms that need the warm and humid air of the tropical oceans to develop. The country is protected by the northern part of Colombia, which brings the winds up towards Nicaragua, however, it is under the path of most hurricanes and the effects of some hurricane tails occasionally impact it. In late 2016, Hurricane Otto passed through the country for nearly 16 hours before reaching the Pacific coast. Nine people died in the villages of Bagaces, in Guanacaste and Upala, in the very north of Costa Rica, where in six hours it rained as much as in a month of November. In November 2020, torrential rains from Hurricane Eta caused catastrophic flooding and landslides in the Pacific region. Each year, from early June to late November, tropical storms and hurricanes are passing through the country with increasing severity: climate change is causing ocean temperatures to rise, which encourages the formation of more powerful hurricanes that bring more rain, particularly threatening to people, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In 2022 alone, five hurricanes of category 1 to 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale (winds of 102 to 250km/h) hit Costa Rica. Only Hurricane Bonnie, which formed in the Caribbean, made landfall between Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Each of these natural disasters puts the country in debt, caught in a costly spiral when it comes to rebuilding everything. Hurricanes, floods, droughts, extreme weather events linked to global warming are increasingly numerous. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, the country, which is particularly threatened by rising water levels, has decided to align its priorities with global climate action and has already prepared a long-term strategy.
Pioneer country in the fight against climate change
Costa Rica does not escape the issues related to climate change. Faced with this great challenge of the 21st century, the country has been particularly pioneering in terms of solutions and has always evolved more rapidly than any other country in the world on ecological issues. Its positions were made concrete as early as 1998 with the vote of the law on biodiversity, which gives the State complete sovereignty in this field and the inclusion of the right to an ecologically balanced environment in its constitution. Aware of its vulnerability to climate change, Costa Rica quickly became a world leader in the fight against the climate emergency. Successive governments, concerned with preserving and optimizing the country's ecosystems, first understood the importance of protecting the country's coastline: Costa Rica's coasts, rich in mangroves, coral reefs and wetlands, are valuable buffers against natural disasters and rising sea levels. In a Latin America that has not yet taken action against climate change, Costa Rica has been ahead of everyone else on the path to ecological regeneration. At the COP 15 held in November 2022 in Canada, the country was part of the coalition for high climate ambition: to protect globally 30% of land and oceans by 2030. A measure that allows the absorption of large amounts of carbon while regenerating biodiversity. Carried in part by Carlos Alvarado, President of Costa Rica from 2018 to 2022, this proposal for a global framework for the protection of biodiversity, was adopted in order to respond to the "nature emergency" and take the necessary measures to guarantee the planet's life support systems. During Carlos Alvarado's presidency, Costa Rica received the 2019 Champion of the Earth award from the UN, the most prestigious environmental title. Former President Alvarado propelled Costa Rica as a model of environmental protection and considered the fight against climate change a priority. However, new President Rodrigo Chaves, elected in the spring of 2022, does not have the same environmental ambitions. This conservative, former Minister of the Economy and former World Bank executive has even refused to ratify the Escazu Agreement even though 24 countries, including Mexico, Argentina and Chile, have already signed it. This agreement ratifies the right of access to information for citizens on environmental issues, their participation in decision-making, and opens the way to the establishment of environmental justice.
In international forums, Costa Rica remains a powerful voice to represent countries that are suffering the full consequences of climate change. As a member of the V20 group, which brings together 20 countries that are highly vulnerable to climate change, Costa Rica has been working since 2015 to mobilize resources in their favor. In parallel with its actions to protect diversity, the government also developed a national policy for adaptation to climate change in April 2022. A true roadmap to improve the country's resilience to the impacts of climate change, this plan defines six priority areas: knowledge management on the effects of climate change, land use planning, ecosystem management, public services and infrastructure, agriculture and finance. Since 2015, Costa Rica has also been part of the United Nations Development Program's (UNDP) Climate Promise. This is the largest global program setting the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.
