Costa Rica’s plan to nearly double electric-power generation in the coming decade hinges in part on flooding 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) in this southern region of verdant hills, small farms and indigenous lands. At issue is the proposed Diquís hydroelectric dam, a controversial US$2 billion, 650-megawatt project that, if built as planned near the town of Pilas, would rank as Central America’s largest hydropower station. Last month, after receiving a report on the project from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the government announced it would remove equipment from the area pending consultation with local residents and further study of potential environmental impacts. The findings and the government response come amid concern about the project’s planned flooding... [Log in to read more]