At the national level, the implementation of a migration policy in Costa Rica is therefore frequently discussed, for example, in the National Policy on Adaptation to Climate Change Adaptation 2018-2030 (2018), the  National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change 2022-2026 (axis 1), and the National Policy on Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change (2019) [2], although the focus of this discussion is not on climate-related human mobility.

In addition to the national level, many actions including human mobility are being implemented at a local level, mostly related to disaster risk management and climate change adaptation. These actions aim mainly to raise awareness through activities [1] and informative material (e.g., the Tsunami Risk Community Management Training Manual, published in 2020, which includes a section of migrants in emergency situations) [2], to implement planned relocation of families (e.g. vulnerable populations areas of Caldera district affected by more frequent and intense waves due to sea level rise) [3], or for reconstruction after a disaster (e.g., case of Cinchona population after the earthquake of April 8^th, 2009) [2].

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Engaging stakeholders at the local level

To better understand the intersection between climate change adaptation and human mobility at the local level, SLYCAN Trust with support from the NAP Global Network is conducting research to identify key considerations and entry points. As one of three country case studies under this project, Costa Rica serves of an example of adaptation planning related to human mobility at the local and community level, focusing on the municipality of Esparza.

In October 2024, SLYCAN Trust organized two workshops with support from the NAP Global Network and in collaboration with La Ruta del Clima and the municipality of Esparza. The goal was to engage with actors and stakeholders on the ground, and take a deep-dive into key considerations given by local government authorities (from the ministry of environment, coast guards, lifeguards, universities, civil society and the Esparza municipality) and local emergency committee (LEC) members from Tivives and Caldera beaches about the local-level adaptation planning and action linked to climate-related human mobility in Esparza canton, located at Costa Rica’s Pacific coast.

The conversation with these local actors focused on the issue indicated above, especially the periodic displacement of families from their homes in the Caldera and Tivives beaches due to surges that have affected them in recent years (being most intense in 2012 and 2023), as well as a main road located nearby the coast in the Caldera beach and a bike path that was destroyed in recent years.

In this regard, coastguards and LEC members from Caldera and Tivives beach have indicated that significant changes in the coastline with increased erosion and loss of sand in some areas and sand deposition in others, are the result of the construction of a breakwater in the port of Caldera in recent years in order to facilitate the transit of ships. This has altered the currents that circulate near the coasts of Tivives and Caldera beach, causing a greater surge that affects the houses in some areas (e.g., the “La Cueva” neighbourhood in Caldera beach). Nonetheless, it is also known by Caldera’s inhabitants that the coastline was wider in the past, which is a mark for sea level rise.

Mr. Esteban Aguilar, responsible for urban planning, emergencies, and risks in the Esparza municipality, explained that a century ago, a railroad passed alongside a cliff known as “Carballo rock” on the coast of Caldera beach, which indicates that the area where the water reached the coast was more remote than it is today. There are even historical photos of a settlement along the railroad line, which was part of the centre of Caldera town.

Today, this zone is designated by the National Emergency Commission (CNE) as a red zone threatened by waves. Local experts have also made studies regarding the possible zones that can be affected by sea level rise in next years, such as Prof. Melvin Lizano, geographer from the Costa Rica University, that estimated the areas near the coast of the Caldera beach that could be submerged by a 20 cm increase in tides, projected for 2030 [4].

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Climate change adaptation and human mobility at local level

To respond to these impacts, the CNE placed 300 linear metres of limestone rocks (5-7 tons of weight each) on the coast to protect the national route 23 that passes through Caldera beach as it has national and international importance for the transfer of goods, transportation, commerce and tourism from San José to Puntarenas and Guanacaste, to the rest of Central America. The municipality has provided affected families with social care, economic support and shelter for up to three months in some cases, as well as training and education for them to open a business or start an entrepreneurship. It has also promoted families’ planned relocation into safer zones, but most of them are rooted to their homes and return after every episode of strong surges, as they perceive the sound of the waves as an integral part of their daily lives.

Some participants in the workshops mentioned that relocation should be done in areas similar to those where families lived, with a similar cultural context and sources of employment to ensure that they remain in the proposed new location. Therefore, the LEC in Caldera beach was formed to give a more appropriate response during emergencies, as the evacuation process has been done mainly by families themselves and requires a follow up as insecurity is an issue when strong surges occur (delinquency when families evacuate their homes) and a liaison between institutions in charge of local risk management and families is needed for effective communication purposes. This will allow LEC members to keep updated those families living in areas prone to be affected by strong surges, and other families in case of other emergencies (e.g., fires or presence of crocodiles in ditches used to mitigate strong surges). 

The next challenge faced by LECs in Caldera and Tivives beaches is gaining more active members, mobilising resources to cover the safe mobilisation of families in case of an emergency due to strong surges, conducting training and awareness raising among these families to be better prepared, and establishing a robust early warning system. Tivives beach LEC was established in 2019 and has advanced in this topic, with some drills already done, the most recent one being in October 2024 and the next one in March 2025); as for the municipality, this is the planned relocation process framed within the urban regulatory plan that is expected to be established in the next years.

Understanding climate-related human mobility in the context of local adaptation planning is important to proactively address these risks and utilise opportunities for reducing vulnerability, protecting livelihoods, and building long-term resilience. Actions at the local level should be effectively connected to the National Adaptation Plan process and its priority areas and actions, ensuring coherence and coordination between different levels of governance and different scales of adaptation action. Costa Rica’s experience can provide a valuable case study to identify good practices and success stories as well as challenges to overcome in connecting the local to the national and global level.

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References:

1. International Organization for Migration (IOM, 2023). IOM Costa Rica: Risk Management and the Nexus of Migration, Environment, and Climate Change. Available here
2. International Organization for Migration (IOM, 2022). Human mobility in contexts of disasters, environmental degradation and climate change in Costa Rica: Evidence and policy analysis. Available here
3. International Organization for Migration (IOM, 2024). Estudio de Diagnóstico de la Movilidad por CambioClimático en la Comunidad de Caldera. Available here
4. Semanario Universidad (2023). Scientists warn of rising sea levels in all coastal areas of the country. Available here