Post-hurricane reconstruction advances in Costa Rica

Around 75% of tasks in Costa Rica's general recovery plan for the areas hit by Hurricane Otto in 2016 have already been completed, according to a report by state power and telecommunications company ICE.

ICE is in charge of carrying out recovery works under an agreement with the national emergency commission CNE and the authorities of affected municipalities.

To date, the government has spent around 11bn colones (US$19.3mn) on recovery, the government said.

Some 50 projects were implemented to clean up and channel certain rivers and ravines, of which 17 have been completed.

Efforts to repair 111km of roads – 51km in Upala canton, 38km in La Cruz, 22km in Bagaces – are still underway.

Bridges affected by the hurricane had to be rebuilt completely, given the structural damage caused. In that respect, five bridges are being built in Upala, five in Bagaces, and two more in La Cruz. Still pending works on five bridges in Upala and four in La Cruz are to begin within the next weeks.

The plan includes 66 priority works, requiring total investments of 20bn colones. Resources for these projects come from a national emergency fund. All priority initiatives under the plan are expected to be completed during the first months 2018, according to the government.

Hurricane Otto made landfall in Costa Rica in late November 2017. It affected 461 communities in six of the country's seven provinces, causing damage to road infrastructure, communication and power lines, and agricultural land.

CNE approved the general recovery plan in March, while works started in April.