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Management Tools for Safety in Costa Rica Beaches

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Beach Management Tools - Concepts, Methodologies and Case Studies

Part of the book series: Coastal Research Library ((COASTALRL,volume 24))

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Abstract

More than 700 people have drowned in Costa Rica beaches since 2001, and so far, very few governmental actions have been developed in order to improve beach safety. RONMAC program (Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica) has been doing exhaustive research on rip currents since 2010. Drowning data have allowed defining the social profile of drowned people, the most risky beaches and the drowning seasonality. Young males from the central part of the country are the most prone to drown according to drowning data. Survey campaigns have been made in order to understand how the previous knowledge on rip currents and the behavior of beach users can influence their vulnerability to drown. Rip current mapping is being used to estimate beach hazard and GPS dog collar on lifesavers are being used to measure rip currents speeds and trajectories. In the last months, RONMAC together with other institutions have issued a law proposal at the Legislative Assembly for creating a National Lifesavers Brigade.

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Abbreviations

OIJ:

Organismo de investigaciones Judiciales

ICT:

Instituto Costarricense de Turismo

WHO:

World Health Organization

CNE:

Comisión Nacional de Emergencias

CAT:

CNE Technical Advising Committee

CCT:

Costa Rica Chamber of Tourism

INA:

National Apprenticeship Institute

SNG:

National Coast Guard Service

IGN:

National Geographic Institute

USAID:

United States Agency for International Development

EPA:

Environmental Protection Agency

RONMAC:

Universidad Nacional Sea Level and Coastal Hazard Research Network

IDB:

Interamerican Bank of Development

PNUD:

United Nations development program

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Red de observación del nivel del mar e investigación en amenazas costeras (RONMAC), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (UNA), Heredia, Costa Rica

    Isabel Arozarena Llopis & Alejandro Gutiérrez Echeverría

Authors
  1. Isabel Arozarena Llopis
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  2. Alejandro Gutiérrez Echeverría
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Isabel Arozarena Llopis .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Law Universidad Sergio Arboleda, Santa Marta, Colombia

    Camilo M. Botero

  2. Facultad de Ciencias Marinas, University of Colima, Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico

    Omar Cervantes

  3. Coastal Education and Research Foundation (CERF), Fletcher, North Carolina, USA

    Charles W. Finkl

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Arozarena Llopis, I., Gutiérrez Echeverría, A. (2018). Management Tools for Safety in Costa Rica Beaches. In: Botero, C., Cervantes, O., Finkl, C. (eds) Beach Management Tools - Concepts, Methodologies and Case Studies. Coastal Research Library, vol 24. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58304-4_22

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