SINAC

SINAC, the Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación, is the Costa Rican government agency under the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) that administers the National System of Conservation Areas. The system encompasses protected areas such as national parks, wildlife refuges, and protected zones, with the aim of conserving biodiversity, protecting water resources, and maintaining ecosystem services.

SINAC was established in 1998 to unify the management of protected areas under a single authority, building on earlier institutions such as the National Parks Service and the National System of Conservation Areas. The National System of Conservation Areas comprises regional offices known as Areas de Conservación (ACAs) and operates through a central directorate.

In addition to parks, SINAC coordinates with local governments, communities, and research institutions; it also runs programs for ecotourism, enforcement, and protected-area management. It designs and manages protected areas, enforces environmental laws, conducts biodiversity inventories, supports sustainable tourism, implements watershed protection and climate adaptation projects, and collaborates with international conservation networks.

SINAC oversees many of Costa Rica's flagship protected areas, including several national parks and reserves, and its work is central to the country's conservation strategy and its global reputation for biodiversity and ecotourism.