Since 2015, Costa Rica has established “Agua Tica”, the first water fund in Costa Rica managed by a public-private and civil society alliance, which covers the sub-basins of the Grande and Virilla watersheds. This fund is composed by many institutions (public and private) to establish agreements related to water resource management
and conservation. The fund is using technological tools as part of the definition of investment priorities, based on watershed conservation objectives.
Under an initial investment scenario set at $ US2 M for the first year of implementation in the area of influence of the water fund, as well as for some of the micro-basins,
the prioritization technique was applied through the RIOS program, routines that allowed the definition of priority sites within the area of influence according to predetermined watershed conservation objectives. To complete this prioritization process and generate detail in the investment portfolio, four specific objectives were identified: aquifer recharge, erosion control in springs, erosion control in surface
waters, and flow regulation, and eight lines of control were established. strategic investment in order to promote and increase these objectives that come to be ecosystem services that will be generated from the interventions. The investment
portfolio becomes a useful tool to demonstrate in a echnical-scientific way where, how and when to invest and in this way it becomes more attractive for the actors within the area of influence and that they are added with direct investments that are going to translate into an increase in the quality and quantity of water for their production processes.