Costa Rica has a Central Conservation Area, where the Central Volcanic Mountain Range Biosphere Reserve is located, declared by UNESCO in 1988.Such designation as a Biological Reserve was with the purpose of recognizing the immense biodiversity, the contribution to sustainability and the impact on human well-being and development.
The Volcanic Cordillera has more than 650,000 hectares of extension in the center of Costa Rica, as well as a wide biological diversity that is home to 54% of the country’s population.There you can find volcanoes, hydrographic basins and a varied fauna.
Forest engineer Meryll Arias
We are talking about an important area for the world, led by anCosta Rican woman and forest engineer Meryll Arias.Meryll, 36, a native of the Heredia province, studied at the National University of Costa Rica. In 2021, she completed a master’s degree in “Climate Change and Environmental Audits”.
For her, taking over the Conservation Area has not been easy, but with love and hard work she has been able to move forward successfully.It should be noted that this has been her first job as an engineer and in spaces previously represented by men.
Promoting cooperative environments
Engineer Arias, through her leadership in a Biosphere Reserve, has promoted an environment of cooperation to carry out its management with biosphere reserves. In her opinion, the Central American country has “assertive communication between all those involved.”
Costa Rica has stood out for complying with the 2017 decree that regulates the issue of biosphere reserves. Said decree establishes a multiplicity of actors, for which many sectors are involved.
Everything, within the institutional part, can be noted as a challenge, which Meryll has assumed responsibly, “always motivating the work staff and ensuring that everyone has the appropriate conditions to perform their duties,” she said.
Interested in the work of the MaB Local Committees
TicaMeryll Arias maintains an interest in the MaB Local Committees, made up of a group of people from different sectors who work together to manage and promote the territories designated as biosphere reserves.
The Committees are an advisory and coordination body for the Program on Man and the Biosphere, which includes representatives of the government, non-governmental organizations, academia, civil society and managers of the country’s biosphere reserves.”It interests me that the people who are part of these committees continue to participate actively andempower the governance platform,” she added.
Attitude for various opportunities
On behalf of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), Meryll was part of the coordination in what was the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in 2021.
At the Conference, Colombia, of course Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama signed a declaration in which they committed to the sustainable management of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor.
The objective of the event was to: house four UNESCO World Heritage marine sites and a Biosphere Reserve: the Cocos Island National Park, the Galapagos National Park and Marine Reserve, the Malpelo Flora and Fauna Sanctuary and the Coiba National Park .
For the Costa Rican, it has been essential to assume everything that has been presented to her in the professional field, which in turn has been what has filled her with satisfaction.
Today Meryll is another of our Valuable Women of the country, an example for other women, youth and girls whom she wants to motivate to fulfill their dreams. “Enjoy the trip, because sometimes you are so concerned with the goal that we don’t enjoy the process and part of the process is getting to know yourself, defining what our strengths are, the things that need to be improved and very important, not get discouraged”.
Wise words from a woman who works every day to protect our natural reserves in Costa Rica, to create ties for the benefit and improvement of the environment, let us remember that little by little with a lot of faith we can create the best and most significant actions.
