The Laguna Culebrillas wetlands in the Ecuadorian province of Cañar in the High Andes. © GIZ Ecuador / Andres Pomboza

Better protecting high Andean wetlands, restoring them and using them in an environmentally friendly and climate-conscious way

Protection and Sustainable Management of Ecosystems in the Andes (Montañas II)

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  • Client

    German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

  • Country

    Ecuador

    Ecuador

  • Political sponsors

    Ecuador, Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition (MAATE)

    Ecuador - Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition (MAATE)

  • Runtime

    2024 to 2027

  • Involved

    National Institute of Biodiversity (Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad

    National Institute of Biodiversity (Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, INABIO), local universities, water fund, non-governmental organisations, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, MAG), Ministry of Tourism (Ministerio de Turismo, MINTUR), independent local authorities in the intervention area, implementation organisations of other projects in the Andean highlands

  • Products and expertise

    Climate, environment, natural resource management

Context

Ecuador’s high Andean wetlands are being destroyed to create pasture and agricultural land. This is having a devastating impact on biodiversity. Moreover, the effects of climate change, including glacial melt, shorter precipitation periods and drought, are changing the water balance and affecting fertile soil in the area.

National and local decision-makers have recognised this problem and introduced promising new processes to protect and restore wetlands and use them in an environmentally friendly and climate-conscious way. These include participatory decision-making with interest groups, strategic policy-making and planning, and incentives and compensation. However, the measures have only been effective in a limited number of cases thus far. The framework conditions and expertise needed to expand tried-and-tested initiatives are lacking.

Objective

The regulatory, technical and financial framework conditions needed to protect and restore high Andean wetlands and use them in an environmentally friendly and climate-conscious way have been improved. This includes Ramsar areas that, under the global Ramsar Convention, are of international importance for biodiversity and must therefore be protected and used in a future-oriented manner.

A farmer collects plants in an Andean landscape.© GIZ Ecuador / Juan Castillo

Approach

The project operates in three areas:

  1. It provides advice on strengthening structures and updating policy instruments and supports regional and local authorities in participatory decision-making both amongst themselves and with the national government
  2. The project also provides training for the local population and for experts and leaders, enabling them to plan, implement and oversee the restoration of wetlands. Process owners use the knowledge to manage protected and Ramsar areas.
  3. In addition, the project promotes inclusive, nature-positive production and business models involving the private sector. It also mobilises new funding for the protection, restoration and environmentally friendly use of wetlands.

Last update: December 2024

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