We aimed to analyze buffer zones and aerial spraying practices on banana plantations situated in Matina County, Costa Rica, within the context of national regulations.
During the I semester of 2021, we used Google Earth satellite images (years: 2019 - 2021) for landscape recognition and the identification of buffer zones. Then, we visited 63 sites without natural barriers and interviewed 58 neighbors about spraying practices using a structured questionnaire. We analyzed the collected data in ArcGIS 10.7.
Using geographical information system (GIS) analysis, we identified 44 km of field borders without natural barriers, of which 52% adjacent to houses and 48% to roads. Eighty-eight percent the interviewees reported to have observed aerial spraying at <100 meters from public spaces in sites without, or <30 meters in sites with, natural barriers, during the last month.
Our data suggest that banana companies from Matina County only partly fulfill Costa Rica aerial pesticide spraying regulations.
Download the PDF of the poster here.
Geospatial analysis of buffer zones for aerial pesticide spraying on banana plantations, Costa Rica. Palomo-Cordero, L., Rodríguez-Miranda, R., Hoppin, J. A., van Wendel de Joode, B. 2023. Environment & Technology. Vol. 4, No. 1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.56205/ret.4-1.2