THE HAGUE: The UN’s highest court on Friday ordered Nicaragua to pay Costa Rica compensation for environmental damage to protected wetlands on the river San Juan, setting the sum of $380,000.

But the figure was well below the $6.7 million dem­a­­nded by Costa Rica for the harm done to the area, and to compensate its efforts to restore it.

“The court concludes that the total amount of compensation to be awarded to Costa Rica is $378,890.59,” judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said.

Managua has until April 2 to pay the amount, after which it will incur a higher rate of interest, the judge said at the court in The Hague, in its first ever compensation ruling for environmental damage. “We consider this to be a fair assessment of the court,” Nicara­guan ambassador Carlos Arguello said.

“From the outset, Presi­dent (Daniel) Ortega had stated that Nicaragua was willing to compensate for what was fair and reasonable, but Costa Rica’s proposal, Costa Rica’s request, was quite exaggerated,” Arguello said.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2018