Climate Change Adaptation
ICICOR actively contributes to climate change adaptation through initiatives that combine innovation, technical expertise, and a strong commitment to sustainable development. One of its key contributions is the development of the Climate Change Adaptation Risk Warning System (SARACC), a tool designed to help identify threats associated with climate events.
ICICOR also promotes projects focused on transforming waste into energy, supporting solutions that contribute to both mitigation and adaptation. At an institutional level, ICICOR provides specialized advisory services to facilitate access to green financing, supporting organizations through accreditation processes with entities such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
As part of its commitment to the country, ICICOR also collaborates, ad honorem, with the National Commission in charge of drafting the Costa Rican Code for Global Climate Change Adaptation, contributing technical experience to strengthen resilience through regulatory and technical frameworks.
Dr. Rene Castro Salazar
Former Minister of Environment and Energy (1994-1998 and 2011-2014)
Who we are
The Cocos Marine Conservation Area (ACMC) is one of the eleven Conservation Areas that make up Costa Rica’s National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC).
Cocos Island is internationally recognized as a reservoir of biodiversity and endemism, a site of outstanding scenic beauty, and it is considered one of the top ten places in the world for recreational diving. Due to its unique characteristics, Cocos Island is regarded as one of the most privileged natural sites worldwide.
Programs
Projects for climate change adaptation:
ICICOR leads in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) the development of an Adaptation Code to reduce the impacts of heat and rainfall variability
on health, infrastructure, water, and food systems.
Projects for carbon markets (CO2):
ICICOR promotes private-sector projects that reduce emissions, such as energy generation using biomass and waste. It has carried out technical missions
in Chile, Barbados, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.
Projects for wildfire prevention:
ICICOR designs projects aimed at preventing wildfires that threaten biodiversity. It has worked with IICA and UN agencies on proposals for several countries.
Projects supporting accreditation with the Green Climate Fund:
ICICOR advises financial institutions in Central America to achieve GCF accreditation, enabling access to climate finance for energy, agriculture, and water initiatives.
Brief overview of Costa Rica’s Adaptation Code:
CFIA leads this national initiative with ad honorem support from ICICOR professionals who participate in the National Commission responsible for the project.
Inspired by the successful seismic regulations promoted by CFIA more than 50 years ago, the new Code aims to establish a technical framework to address climate impacts on infrastructure and buildings.
ICICOR’s team contributes expertise in hydrology, structuring, resilient design, and risk management, supporting solutions for floods, droughts, landslides, and sea-level rise.
CFIA also promotes the Code’s regional expansion, coordinated with CCAD, ECLAC (CEPAL), and CABEI (BCIE), with differentiated approaches for Central America and the Dominican Republic.
This initiative reflects the technical and solidarity-driven commitment of Costa Rica’s professional sector to climate action, with CFIA’s leadership and ICICOR’s specialized contribution serving the country and the region.
SARACC Tool
ICICOR promotes resilient construction and investment practices through tools such as the Climate Change Adaptation Risk Warning System (SARACC). This platform generates alerts about natural hazards when a property location is entered, providing information at national, intermediate, and local levels.
SARACC is useful for appraisers and sectors such as agriculture, water resources, and coastal development, helping identify risks like droughts, floods, and sea-level rise.
In addition, ICICOR provides climate risk analysis services, climate feasibility studies for projects, and the design of mitigation solutions.
