Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

[Introduction]: An efficient solid waste management system is a challenge for all cities, especially in developing countries. One main problem is the lack of indicators that facilitate the rapid and efficient evaluation of recycling programs. [Objective]: To propose a multivariate economic valuation indicator to help optimize the evaluation of the processes of solid waste management at the municipal level. [Methodology]: The Remanent Environmental Investment (IA) indicator was applied to the municipal recycling program of the Municipality of Belén in 2015-2018. [Results]: Investment in the management of recyclable waste did not cover the costs of the program, which implies a deficit in the investment assumed by the local government. [Conclusions]: The proposed indicator allows temporal evaluation and comparison of economic conditions of waste management processes. The indicator is not compatible with the official indicators in Costa Rica. However, it provides comparative information that allows a holistic evaluation of municipal recycling programs.

[Introduction]: The silvicultural treatments arise as one more tool of the forest management process, trying to maintain the productivity and profitability of the forest resource. [Objective]: Refining and release treatments were analyzed by evaluating ecological integrity, the productive potential of commercial wood and carbon dioxide as well as financial profitability according to biological, regulatory and financial harvest cycles. [Methodology]: This was achieved by performing the fifth measurement of the silvicultural experiment established in 1992 by the Forest Development Commission of San Carlos (CODEFORSA), the experiment consisted in establishing silvicultural treatments after the forest harvest in the management unit San Jorge in San Carlos, Costa Rica. [Results]: The treatments did not alter the reference values of ephemeral heliophyte species and basal area; the mean annual increase does not present significant differences between treatments, however the refinement test shows greater increases reflected in the net production of basal area and volume of commercial remnant mass, which were 27.42 % and 9.11 % higher, respectively. [Conclusions]: The financial and biological cutting cycle is completed four and five years earlier than the regulatory cutting cycle for the refining and releasing treatments, and is more profitable.

[Introduction]: The National System of Protected Wildlife Areas of Paraguay should harmonize the conservation objectives of the country's biodiversity with criteria of effectiveness. With more than 25 years of validity, the information referring to the availability of the management plans was not systematized; therefore, there is lack of information required for the proper management. [Objective]: To analyze the historical availability of management plans of the protected areas and the factors that condition their development. Protected areas were characterized in terms of the historical availability of management plans from 1973 to 2018. [Methodology]: We used the consultation of key informants, the systematization of information, the design of the research database, documentary analysis, workshops with experts and mapping of the results. [Results]:  It was determined that 42 protected areas registered a management plan either previously or at present, of which 14 correspond to the public subsystem, 18 to the private subsystem and 10 to the special subsystem. It was detected that the elaboration of management plans requires sufficient financing for their preparation and publication, considerable technical base information and time. Another aspect detected in this research indicates the difficult access to management plans, despite their nature as a public document. [Conclusions]: In most cases, the protected areas of Paraguay did not register management plans until 2005, after this year financial opportunities and scientific technical capacity at country level allowed the increase of them. Aspects that should be enhanced for the strengthening of the national conservation system.

[Introduction]: In Costa Rica there is a need of improving the drinking water delivery service of an important part of the population, aiming to satisfy the Human Right this vital resource. [Objective]: This study evaluated the perception of the population of four cities of the province of Cartago (Alvarado, Jiménez, Oreamuno and Turrialba), in relation to the public drinking water service they receive in their communities. [Methodology]: The analysis considered both the geographic location of the population and the type of service provider, in order to show the similarities and contrasts existent in each case. Through surveys, the opinion of 2 194 users of the drinking water systems of these localities was collected. [Results]: It was found that there are considerable asymmetries between many of the existing systems, with some problems at the level of service continuity and organoleptic properties of the liquid. The study identified of a strong dependence between the variables of i) level of user satisfaction, ii) problems identified in the system and iii) actions implemented by users to mitigate these shortcomings. [Conclusions]: The experience resulting from this study of evaluating the water-delivery service in a community through the perception of its users complements the traditional service indicators and has a high potential to be replicated in other communities of Costa Rica and other countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

[Introduction:] In Costa Rica, horticultural producers till the soil every six months, using conventional systems that pulverize the arable layer and cause degradation. [Objectives:] The effect of different types of tillage was evaluated in order to recommend variations in the management of soil mechanization. [Methodology:] Tillage treatments were established for which zero (T1), conventional (T2) and reduced (T3) in a loamy-sandy soil (Fa). The organic matter content (MO), apparent density (Da), hydraulic conductivity (k), penetration resistance (RP) and moisture retention (RH) were determined before each treatment (T0) and after six months. Also, operation variables of the used tractor were measured. [Results:] The need to ballast the tractor to rotate the ground and have better efficiency was determined due to the skid of the front axle at T2 (-34.81%). T2 showed increases in MO (p <0.05), due to the short-term effect of the surface cut of the vegetation cover and Da increased (p <0.05) at 30-45 cm in T1, because there was no chisel plow pass. No treatment changed the condition of moderate k to 30 cm deep. T3, improved RP (p <0.05) up to 30 cm deep due to the chisel plow pass. HR did not change (p <0.05). [Conclusions:] Due to the inefficiency of operation and because there is no physical improvement of the soil in the short term, it is not necessary to till every six months, which would reduce the erosion rates of the area.

[Introduction]: Taking into account the magnitude of water-related environmental problems and phenomena such as droughts and floods, intensified by climate change, it is useful to take advantage of new technologies, through the development of virtual environmental observatories. [Objective]:  This article presents the experience of the Environmental Regional Observatory and Development Sustainable of the Bogota River (ORARBO), from their motivations until its implementation. [Methodology]: To show this, it is provided the theoretical, methodological and practical elements taken into account to contribute to its replication in similar social, cultural and environmental contexts in Latin America. [Results]: A theoretical analysis between the contribution of the information technologies and communications (ICT) to water and governance management and the practical experience gained in its execution in Colombia. [Conclusion]: It is concluded that the ICT can strengthen the comprehensive water management, by facilitating access to information and participation in environmental issues and in this way increase the incidence in the decisions to face this important issue.

[Introduction]: Colombia has 37 paramos complexes, which constitute a strategic ecosystem for the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Thus, the development of complementary strategies for the protection of the paramos represents a mechanism to guarantee their functionality. [Objective]: To analyze the current state of articulation of the conservation strategies of the National System of Protected Areas of Colombia with the delimited paramos. [Methodology]: A review was made about the paramos complexes of Colombia, based on geographic data available in the National Registry of Protected Areas and in the Environmental Information System for Colombia. [Results]: It was found that 51.57 % of the paramos complexes are included in protected natural areas, being the category of natural national park the one that covers greater extension with 914 683.96 ha. [Conclusions]: Colombia's environmental authorities must implement conservation strategies for almost half of the country's paramo complexes, and thereby, ensure the continuity of their ecological processes and the flow of ecosystem services to the communities that inhabit them.  

The development of the organic sector in the world is divided into three sections in a timeline: Organic 1.0: the initial stages, with producers leading the process establishing ecological farming systems. There is an increase in the number of organic producers’ organizations.  Organic 2.0. Consumers willing to pay higher prices to those producers that are trying to protect the planet. The transnationals started buying small and successful organic companies. The certification process distances itself from producers and economic recognition does not reach small producers. At international forums, agroecology is recognized as the development strategy for rural areas. Organic 3.0. The movement reviews achievements of the organic sector. The global recognition of the word organic should be used to improve the impact on issues of equity, social justice, and sustainability. To achieve this, local consumption, participatory certification, real production costs that consider the environmental and health impacts of conventional production are promoted. The environmental sector must work together seeking to collaborate in the multiple areas of coincidence.

The Reventazon River has undergone multiple interventions, in order to obtain from its waters, the energy that sustains an important part of the country's electricity matrix. As part of working teams in environmental management at the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE), it was my responsibility to participate in environmental impact studies of electrical development projects in the Reventazon river basin, with the opportunity to integrate knowledge and experiences to identify measures to avoid and mitigate impacts, as well as propose options for compensation of residual impacts. The definition of an environmental flow based on a holistic methodology, which resulted in a change in the design of the project, as well as the development and execution of a compensation model, in which was defined the commitment to conserve the river Parismina, as a river without barriers, constitutes two initiatives promoted by ICE that place it as a referent in the environmental management of the country.

Biography of Alberto Manuel Brenes.