Costa Rican congress passes bill to pave way for Paacume project

The full house of Costa Rica's legislative assembly has approved bill No. 20465 allowing for new boundaries to be established for the Lomas de Barbudal biological reserve, thus enabling progress on the Paacume water supply program.

The approval of the bill, which was submitted to congress last year by former president Luis Guillermo Solís, is necessary to carry out certain works under the US$458mn water supply project for human consumption and irrigation.

The project, the full name of which is water supply system for the mid-river basin of the Tempisque river and coastal communities, will be developed in Chorotega region in northern Guanacaste province.

The proposal would entail changing the area's land use designation and authorizing the national system of conservation areas (Sinac) to use the wood resulting from logging of trees that will take place during the construction works.

Executed by national groundwater, irrigation and drainage service Senara, the Paacume involves building a dam on the Piedras river, a western canal for the Arenal Tempisque irrigation district and a primary water distribution network.

The legislature will now seek input on the bill from different institutions, according to an official release.