Costa Rica Questioning Environmental Impact of Nicaragua Canal

GENEVA, June 9 (Reuters) – Costa Rica needs data from Nicaragua concerning the potential environmental affect of a deliberate $50 billion canal undertaking that will rival the Panama Canal, Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera mentioned on Tuesday.

The canal building plan entails dredging Lake Nicaragua to nearly twice its present depth. This might trigger sedimentation in San Juan river, whose southern financial institution is Costa Rican territory.

“This is why we asked Nicaragua to tell us how they were planning to prevent the sedimentation of the San Juan river. We have not received that information,” Solis mentioned.

“The only thing we want is information on possible environmental impacts on Costa Rica, and other than that we wish them well,” Solis informed a information convention in Geneva.

Nicaragua introduced the beginning of labor on the undertaking in December, saying the proposed 172-mile (278-km) canal, because of be operational by round 2020, would increase annual financial progress to greater than 10 p.c.

Construction of the brand new waterway shall be run by Hong Kong-based HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Co Ltd (HKND Group), which is managed by Wang Jing, a Chinese telecom mogul.

“We understand that this is not a canal that is being supported by the government of Beijing,” Solis mentioned. (Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)