Unsustainable practices in agricultural, cattle and pig farming management are present towards the northern area surrounding the Ario watershed. The aqueduct which will soon supply water to the coastal towns will feed from the Ario aquifer. Nicoya Peninsula Waterkeeper promotes and carries out case-specific mitigation and restoration strategies to protect water quality of the streams flowing into the sea. Based on the information generated by their Water Quality Monitoring Program, Nicoya Peninsula Waterkeeper is able to identify the origins and types of pollution and design strategies with relevant stakeholders to find sustainable solutions and advocate for changes resulting in better water quality of their coastal waters. The Waterkeeper’s mitigation strategies will use low cost, easy-to-implement technologies including: biogardens to treat grey waters; erosion control using vetiver; bioswales to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water; biodigestors which decompose organic matter, waste from grease traps from the food industry sector for example, to produce bio gas which can be used as energy source; and compost toilets which treat excreta,
with no or small volumes of flush water, via composting or managed aerobic decomposition. Nicoya Peninsula Waterkeeper wants to show the community that environmentally respectful practices exist and are available for everyone to implement. They promote behavior changes that benefit present and future generations and all the beautiful invaluable natural resources that surround them. Nicoya Peninsula Waterkeeper is a non-government organization, whose mission is to monitor, protect and restore water quality in the coastal watersheds and marine ecosystems between the Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve and the Caletas-Ario National Wildlife Refuge through research, field work, education and advocacy.
Nicoya Peninsula Region
