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WWF's Approved Projects
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WWF in Ecuador Ecuador is part of WWF's nine-nation Hispanic South America Programme. Situated on the west coast of the continent and covering an area of about 283,560 sq km, this small country rivals its neighbours in specie-richness. It is home to 20,000 plant varieties, over 1,400 bird species, and some 800 reptile and amphibian species. In fact, the country is believed to have the highest concentration of species per unit area in South America. In a two-square-kilometre tract of Pacific lowland rainforest, 1,200 species of plants from 136 different families were found. Offshore lie the Galapagos Islands, among the first natural sites to receive World Heritage status. As elsewhere in the region, Ecuador's natural resources are falling victim to the forces of modernization. Logging, roadbuilding, and agricultural expansion are cutting into the country's prized Choco forests. Many Awa Indians who used to make a living from the forest are now farming cattle or working as loggers. Economic development has been at the cost of the environment. Unfortunately, natural resource management has not kept pace with commercial gain. WWF's Hispanic South America Programme aims to promote a strong and self-reliant conservation movement in the region. It works with grassroots organizations and public authorities to improve resource management and fundraising capabilities. The centrepiece of its conservation programme is striking a balance between the human need for progress and the equally important need to conserve biological diversity. This involves the sustainable use of timber and non-timber forest resources and the development of sustainable agricultural methods.
In 1983, WWF was involved in the delimitation and protection of traditional Awa Indian territories on the Ecuadorian side. Today, 101,000 ha of virtually continuous primary forests have been delimited and legally transferred to the Awa Indians in Ecuador. Moreover, WWF's NGO partner in Ecuador, the Unidad Tecnica Ecuatorina para el Plan Awa, has set up an experimental farm and training centre in Chical. An important aspect of the conservation effort in Ecuador is a US$10 million debt-for-nature swap established in 1988, with US$6.5 million from WWF donations and the rest from the US-based Nature Conservancy. This regularly funds conservation activities. Some US$10 million in local currency has been used to establish a trust fund managed by WWF's Associate Ecuadorian Fundacion Natura. The fund's interest finances a wide range of conservation activities. These include: studies of conservation and development problems such as oil exploration in rainforests and new legislation for protected areas; protected areas management and training; conservation of Ecuador's biologically diverse western forests threatened by development activities, and training and support for partner NGOs. WWF's work in Ecuador has become a model for other countries in the region where conservation funds are meagre. Both Colombia and Peru have set up private trust funds along the same lines.
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Copyright 1996, The World Wide Fund For Nature