The Happiness Index: Costa Rica Number One

Out of all the countries in the world, it is perhaps surprising that Costa Rica is the 'happiest'. But according to the Happy Planet Index, Central America's most stable country takes the number one spot.

The Happy Planet Index (HPI) is designed to monitor quality of life in a more holistic and phycological terms than Gross National Product (GNP). While traditional scales focus on economic progress to measure development, HPI is founded on the idea that a society is only truly advancing when material and spiritual development take place concurrently.  The four pillars of GNH are the promotion of sustainable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment, and establishment of good governance.

Costa Rica comes in first place, despite the GNP being only, whereas the United States and the UK come in at - and --, although their GNP are much higher at ___ and ___ respectively. Both the HPI and the Gross National Happiness index indicate that although money is indisputably important to a happy life, after a certain point the GNP appears to make little difference.

So why is Costa Rica so happy? The country's 1.9 million visitors a year will undoubtedly list beautiful beaches, wildlife and cloud forests among the reasons to be cheerful. Indeed, Costa Rica's successful ecotourism market brings in close to $1.92 billion a year. It is a model that sees tourists helping on conservation projects across the country, not only bringing cash to the economy but also ticking both the sustainable development and conservation of natural environment boxes on the HPI index. 

In terms of democracy, Costa Rica is also the most stable country in Central America, having enjoyed democratic governments since 1953: Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras and Panama have all suffered civil wars, military coups or US invasions from the 1970s right up until the recent Honduran constitutional crisis. 

Severe malnutrition in Guatemala

Through poverty, illness or lack of education, Guatemala is suffering a crisis of malnutrition. According to Government figures, some 54,000 families suffer from hunger, and a further 400,000 could see themselves affected before the end of the year.  President Alvaro Colom has declared a state of national emergency, a move that will allow the country to access international aid. 

The two most common types of malnutrition in Guatemala are Kwashiorkor, a swelling caused by fluid retention due to protein deficiencies, and Marasmo, a deficiency of calories and proteins, seen in children with their skin stretched taut across their bones. 

The worst affected areas of the country are the seven provinces that make up El Corredor Seco ('the dry passage') region of Guatemala. A recent drought and the economic crisis are thought to be the key factors behind the widespread food shortages.

However, Lida Escobar, field monitor for the Global Nutrition Programme in Guatemala (PNG), argues that the causes of the problem are more complex. While some children are victims of a simple lack of food, others are trapped in a vicious cycle where pre-exisiting diseases cause lack of appetite and a weakened immune system, leading to weight loss. 

In some cases the help exists but a lack of education prevents Guatemalans from using it. According to Escobar, rural areas such as the indigenous Chortí are actually well provided for by NGO and government funded health centres or mobile medical aid. The problem is that locals are reluctant to take their children to these facilities, preferring instead to visit the 'bujo' - witch doctor - first. Medical teams are often viewed as a last resort, and therefore have to admit and treat children already in the advanced stages of starvation and malnutrition.

EU to provide isolated communities with solar energy

In Brussels, ambassadors for seven of the most economically marginalised countries in Latin America met to launch a new sustainable energy programme in conjunction with the EU. Guatemala, Perú, Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua y Paraguay signed up to Euro-Solar, a pioneering initiative to bring electricity to isolated rural communities. Honduras was left out of the deal, illustrating how the currently military coup is isolating the country from international help. With poor infrastructure, limited funds and lack of political will, sustainable energy sources appear be the most viable solution for remote communities. 

The EU will pick up the tab for most of the estimated $49.9 million cost of the scheme. Euro-Solar proposes to bring electricity to 300 thousand people in 600 poor rural communities without access to the national grid. The uses for these renewable energy sources range from lighting to keeping vaccines refrigerated. A regular power supply is of course essential to successful business and economic growth. 

Since the state coup at the end of June the EU has suspended all bilateral aid to Tegucigalpa, keeping all contact with the de facto head of government, Roberto Micheletti, to an absolute minimum. Honduras is rated as the third poorest country in the Western hemisphere after Haiti and Nicaragua; it is estimated that only 37% of the rural population has access to electricity.  

Argentina has decriminalised possession of small quantities of cannabis, cocaine and other recreational drugs. Mexico is following suit.

Latin America has been suffering under the USA's war on drugs as gangs and violent crime have only escalated in response to tightened controls. By ignoring the basic rules of supply and demand, it was clear that destroying coca plantations in Ecuador was never going to rectify the problem.

Neighbouring the Mexican border, Guatemala is increasingly becoming an inland route for trafficking drugs.