The government of Ecuador presented this Saturday the Aguarico, Chingual and Cofanes Water Protection Area, of 101,000 hectares in the north of the amazon of the country and very close to the border with Colombia.
Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso made the announcement of the reserve’s creation during a special ceremony held in the city of Nueva Loja, the capital of the Amazonian province of Sucumbíos.
This is “The largest water reserve in Ecuador and all its sources are now considered of public interest”, mentioned Lasso after ensuring that the project directly integrates the provinces of Sucumbíos and the neighboring Andean jurisdiction of Carchi.
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The president explained that the reserve is born in the Andean páramos of Carchi that feed the Chingual and Cofanes rivers that form the Aguarico, a tributary of the Napo river and consequently the Amazon.
Ecuador’s water heritage covers an area of 175,000 hectares in 20 protection areas in 14 provinces of the 24 that make up the country, he mentioned.
Lasso said that his government aspires to conclude his term in 2025 with “285,000 hectares under water protection” and assured that this strategy is a way to face the threats of the climate crisis.
Likewise, he said that putting territories under State protection is “a good way to combat activities such as illegal mining, wildlife trafficking or environmental damage”.
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The Minister of the Environment, Gustavo Manrique, highlighted the importance of the water reserve that will directly benefit 523,000 inhabitants of the areas that make up the project.
He recalled that Ecuador is one of the most megadiverse countries on the planet and that the Amazon rainforest is one of the lungs of the world, for which reason he highlighted the water protection project as a way to contribute to the fight against the climate crisis.
Source: EFE
Source: Gestion
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