This country regrew its lost forest. Can the world learn from it?

By Nell Lewis, CNN

Updated 1902 GMT (0302 HKT) July 27, 2020

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Costa Rica's lush rainforests are home to hundreds of rare species. Endangered great green macaws, with wingspans of up to 90 centimeters, raucously fly through the canopies.
Photos: Paradise restored: how Costa Rica saved its biodiversity
Costa Rica's lush rainforests are home to hundreds of rare species. Endangered great green macaws, with wingspans of up to 90 centimeters, raucously fly through the canopies.
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But the country has not always been a safe haven for wildlife. During the late 20th century, Costa Rica suffered from rampant deforestation, losing between a <a href="https://www.un.org/esa/forests/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/AHEG2_WG1_CostaRica.pdf" target="_blank">half</a> and a <a href="http://www.ambientico.una.ac.cr/pdfs/ambientico/253.pdf" target="_blank">third</a> of its forest cover.
Photos: Paradise restored: how Costa Rica saved its biodiversity
But the country has not always been a safe haven for wildlife. During the late 20th century, Costa Rica suffered from rampant deforestation, losing between a half and a third of its forest cover.
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A huge political and social effort helped to bring it back from the brink. Today <a href="https://www.sirefor.go.cr/pdfs/publicaciones/FRA-FAO_2020-COSTA_RICA.pdf" target="_blank">almost 60%</a> of Costa Rica's land is once again covered in rich forest.
Photos: Paradise restored: how Costa Rica saved its biodiversity
A huge political and social effort helped to bring it back from the brink. Today almost 60% of Costa Rica's land is once again covered in rich forest.
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