Conservation of Biodiversity in Pastaza

The wealth of biological resources in Ecuador is in danger due to an annual deforestation rate of 2.3%, the second highest in Latin America, and to the impact deforestation has on the conservation of biodiversity and genetic resources, i.e. erosion, sedimentation and pollution . Progressive deforestation in the Ecuadorian Amazon region is due to economic models based on deforestation practices, including livestock raising and intensive farming (exotic monocrops such as African palm trees, coffee, cocoa, naranjilla (Solanum quitoense), which require the clearing of extensive forest areas. In addition, these productive activities have made indigenous communities dependent upon external technologies, thereby eroding their ancestral knowledge about biological diversity, its uses, techniques and resource management practices. Also, there are other causes contributing to the loss of biological diversity, such as the overexploitation of forest resources (hunting, fishing and harvesting); a faulty land distribution system, which has generated uncontrolled migrations to land rarely used for agriculture, such as the soil of the Amazon region; chaotic human settlements, poverty and underemployment. To address the above problems and preserve outstanding biodiversity mainly contained at selected sites covering 250,000 hectares, the indigenous people of Pastaza and indigenous technical institutions consider that management planning of communal territories is urgent, including the implementation at a pilot level of sustainable management programs for flora and fauna species, and training of community members to be able to carry out the sustainable management of the natural resources contained in their territories.