FAQ · Environment & Climate 26

Ecuador currently maintains several types of protected areas including 11 national parks, 10 wildlife refuges, and 9 ecological reserves. A program called Sociobosque was started in 2008 to help preserve an additional 2.3% of the total land area. This program works by paying private or community landowners, such as Amerindian tribes, incentives to keep their land as native ecosystems. These incentives can include native forests or grasslands. Eligibility and subsidy rates for this program are determined by factors like regional poverty and the specific type of ecosystem being protected.

While many people focus on wildlife, Ecuador also faces the loss of its indigenous languages. Shiwiar is one of the thirteen indigenous languages of the country that is considered endangered. These languages are spoken along the Pastaza and Bobonaza rivers. The Achuar people of the Amazonian region speak Shiwiar along with Spanish, Shuar, and Kichwa. Currently, the extraction of oil and raw materials through mining has displaced Achuar communities and endangered their homes.

You can observe the biodiversity of the Amazon basin at the Napo Wildlife Center. This community tourism project is located within the Yasuni National Park in the territory of the Kichwa Añangu community. The area includes a private reserve of tropical rainforest that is part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve. To protect the flora and fauna, visitors travel by canoe to reach the site. This initiative focuses on the permanent conservation of the rainforest and its diverse biological areas.

Ecuador possesses a diverse range of plant life, including the red cinchona which serves as the national flower. The country's vegetation includes unique species such as the quishuar, also known as the olive of the paramo or the olive of the Incas. Other notable botanical elements include the tagua, which is referred to as vegetable ivory. Scientific studies have also explored various plants like Sida rhombifolia and Bistropogon mollis. These botanical resources are spread across different regions, including the Galapagos and the Ecuadorian Sierra.

The Congal Biomarine Station is located in a region that features beach, estuarine, mangrove, wetlands, and humid tropical forest habitats. This area is part of a global biodiversity hotspot where you can find coral reefs and sea turtle nesting beaches. The waters also serve as breeding and calving grounds for humpback whales. Additionally, the landscape includes both sandy and rocky shorelines. These diverse habitats contribute to the high level of local endemism found in the region.

Deforestation occurs when forested areas are converted into non-forested areas. In the Amazon, the primary drivers are human settlement and land development. Many farmers use the slash and burn method for crop cultivation, but they often move to new areas once soil fertility is lost. Additionally, a large portion of deforested land is used for livestock pasture. The construction of highways also represents a major threat to the rainforest ecosystem.

Ecuador has experienced various fluctuations in its CO2 emissions per capita since 1985. In the mid-eighties, the levels started around 2.08 and saw some decreases in the early nineties. Following a period of growth through the early 2000s, emissions reached higher levels in the 2010s. There was a notable dip in 2020 when the figure fell to 1.85. Recent data shows an upward trend again, with the 2024 level recorded at 2.535337.

During the period of Texaco's presence in Ecuador, significant amounts of waste were deposited in the Amazon region. This included 880 waste pools and 18 billion gallons of waste product. Additionally, 17 million gallons of crude oil were left in the area. The exploitation also involved 49 million cubic feet per day of flared natural gas. These deposits occurred either intentionally or accidentally over the course of the company's operations.

During the cultivation process, plastics are used to cover fruits to prevent loss from close contact. Additionally, bananas are enclosed in plastic bags filled with insecticide and plant stocks are protected with strips of plastic coated with insecticide. This creates a waste management issue, particularly regarding the plastic bags tied to plants and fruits. Some blue colored bags are reported to have the toxic effect of Chlorpyrifos and are found discarded near plantations. These materials are part of the waste generated during the various stages of growth.

The soil in these areas is swampy and unstable, featuring complex woody structures. The landscape is composed of deltas, estuaries, lakes, and carbonated platforms. Some specific areas experience high sedimentation, which results in a low shoreline and low wave energy. These conditions are part of a neotropical mangrove biome that includes various coastal formations. This environment is shaped by the interaction of different ocean currents and periodic El Niño disruptions.

The coastal areas of Ecuador have a documented history of significant megathrust earthquakes. These events originate from the Malpelo–North Andes plate boundary. A major example is the 1906 Ecuador–Colombia earthquake which occurred off the coast near Esmeraldas. This specific event had a moment magnitude of 8.8 and triggered a destructive tsunami. The rupture zone from this event also encompassed the areas of subsequent significant earthquakes in 1942, 1958, and 1979.

One significant project for managing water is the Bulubulu flood control system. This was one of the chief development projects in Ecuador during the 1980s and 1990s. The system was part of a larger effort to complete various infrastructure projects that had previously faced delays. Other major works from this era include a hydroelectric plant and a dam serving the irrigation system for the Santa Elena Peninsula. These projects were focused on improving the country's water and power management.

Severe droughts in Ecuador have previously caused significant electricity crises by depleting water levels at hydroelectric plants. For example, a major drought starting in September 2009 led to rolling blackouts lasting two to six hours per day. This occurred because water levels at the Paute River dam dropped significantly, reducing its power output. To manage the crisis, the government declared an emergency and purchased additional electricity from Peru and Colombia. Citizens were also urged to conserve energy during these periods of power rationing.

Snow has a historical connection to a traditional frozen treat called Helado de Paila. This sorbet-like specialty hails from Ibarra and is made using fruit juice, ice, and sugar. It is traditionally churned by hand inside a large bronze or copper pot placed on ice. It is said that this frozen treat was initially made with the snow from the glacier on top of the Imbabura volcano. This tradition is still kept alive by descendants of the person who first collected the ice.

Chimborazo is the highest mountain in Ecuador and the Andes north of Peru. While the summit of Mount Everest is higher above sea level, Chimborazo is widely reported to be the farthest point on the surface from Earth's center. This is due to the oblate spheroid shape of the planet, which makes the Earth thicker at the Equator. Even though it is lower in elevation above sea level than Everest, it is farther from the Earth's center. Consequently, the summit of Chimborazo is the fixed point on Earth with the utmost distance from the center.

The Tiputini Biodiversity Station is a scientific research center located in the Orellana province of the Ecuadorian Amazon. This station has found a higher diversity of birds, bats, insects, amphibians, and reptiles than anywhere else in South America and possibly the world. It is situated on the northern bank of the Tiputini River and forms part of the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve. While the facility is primarily used for education and research, it is not strictly off limits to tourists. Because of its remote location and agreements with local indigenous groups, it is possible to study primates that are difficult to observe elsewhere.

The men of the Quijos community performed several ancestral rituals before hunting. They would smoke tobacco to identify their prey in the ashes and drink guayusa tea to reduce fatigue. Some also smoked marijuana to help them see their prey more clearly. To capture animals like monkeys or turkeys, they used a wooden blowpipe called a bodoquera with poisoned arrows. They also utilized traps known as toclla to catch various animals and birds.

The Quijos people traditionally used specific methods to catch fish. They utilized traps as one of their primary tools for fishing. Additionally, they used a plant known as barbasco. This plant contains poisonous chemical compounds that have been used for fishing by indigenous populations of the Americas. These traditional practices were part of their established way of life.

Conservation International Ecuador works on various biodiversity and protected-area conservation efforts across the country. In the Galápagos Islands, initiatives focus on biosecurity and ecosystem restoration. The programme also supports the implementation of the mainland marine and coastal protected areas network strategic plan. Additionally, work includes Amazon regional planning and community-based conservation within Indigenous territories. Climate-resilience initiatives are also linked to mangrove ecosystems in coastal Ecuador.

The Charles Darwin Foundation is an international nongovernmental organization that conducts research to help the government manage the Galápagos. This foundation established the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island in 1964 to support conservation efforts. Much of the work regarding native species and introduced species is now handled by the Galápagos National Park Service using research from the foundation. Additionally, Conservation International Ecuador has served as a project agency for efforts to strengthen biosecurity in the archipelago. These various entities work together to maintain the protected status of the islands and their surrounding marine reserve.

The Bicentennial Park, also known as Parque Bicentenario de Quito, is the largest green area in the city. It covers 125 hectares and surpassed La Carolina Park as the largest space after opening to the public in 2013. The park is located in the north of the city on the land that once belonged to the old airport. Its name commemorates the 200 years of the First Cry of Independence. The space aims to preserve historical memory through symbolic works related to the Quito Revolution.

The top of Chimborazo is covered by glaciers, with some northeastern glacier arms flowing down to 4,600 m. This glacier serves as the source of water for the population of the Bolivar and Chimborazo provinces of Ecuador. However, the glacier's ice mass has decreased over the past decades. This decline is thought to be due in part to ash cover from recent volcanic activity at Tungurahua. Recent research has used Chimborazo as a case study to understand tropical glacier retreat and local water-resource vulnerability.

One notable location for wetlands is Sangay National Park, which is spread across several provinces including Morona-Santiago and Chimborazo. This park features a vast wetland system that covers 31.5 square kilometers. This system is fed by 327 different lakes. The park contains a wide variety of habitats including these wetlands, glaciers, and tropical rainforests. Because of its complex ecology and biodiversity, the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

One issue regarding waste management involves plastic bags used during the growth stages of bananas. These bags are tied to the plants and the fruits throughout the cultivation process. Specifically, blue colored bags are reported to have a toxic effect from Chlorpyrifos. These bags are often found discarded near plantations and are not controlled. This contributes to the broader problem of plastic waste in the industry.

Oil extraction activities have significantly impacted local water sources through the use of unlined open pits. Approximately 19.3 billion gallons of produced water with petroleum content were diverted into these pits, allowing it to reach streams and rivers used for drinking, bathing, and fishing. This water contained polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at levels many times higher than permitted in the US. Additionally, crude oil entered the environment through deliberate spills and pipeline accidents. These incidents have caused issues such as high salinity in rivers and reports of black water in the Napo River.

Ecuador's Organic Law for the Rationalization, Reuse and Reduction of Single-Use Plastics requires every plastic article to carry a printed label with recommendations for reuse and recycling, following the National Technical Standard. The environmental authority determines which containers must also give additional information about their composition. Within six months under the same law, products that contain plastic components, including wet wipes, tampons, balloons, lighters, razors, and printer supplies, must be labeled with a warning about their environmental impact. The law also bars PVC labels on PET or R-PET bottles when those labels are not compatible with recycling, under a rule that applies from twelve months onward. The statute applies throughout Ecuador and is meant to regulate plastic waste, reduce single-use plastics, and promote reuse and recycling. The official text is dated 15 December 2020 and names César Ernesto Litardo Caicedo as President of the National Assembly.