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Sustaining the ecological corridor between Llanganates and Sangay National Parks in Ecuador

In partnership with WWF we will sustain biodiversity in the Llanganates and Sangay national park in Ecuador as well as increase the connectivity between the two parks through the Ecological Corridor.

  • Where
    Langanates National Park, Ecuador
  • Focus area
    Biodiversity
  • Duration
    2019-2024
  • Economy
    Hempel Foundation: DKK 16 million
Prime partner: WWF

Background

The Llanganates-Sangay Ecological Corridor (CELS in Spanish) is located between two of the most important national parks of Ecuador, the Sangay National Park and the Llanganates National Park. With 42,856 hectares, the Corridor is essential to ensure ecological connection between the two parks. The CELS covers an altitude range that starts at 945 meters above sea level (Palora Canton, Province of Morona Santiago) up to 3,790 meters (Baños Canton, Province of Tungurahua). This environmental gradient ranges from tropical ecosystems and cloud forests to paramos in the highland of the eastern Andes Cordillera. The site is known to be home to a wealth of fauna and flora, ranging from birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. Many endemic species of plants have been described from the Pastaza river basin, where the CELS sits.  

Key threats include, expanding agriculture, logging, opening of pastures for grazing animals, hydroelectric power plants, road expansion, and unregulated tourism. One of the main threats for the most vulnerable sectors of the upper basin, is the alarming level of river pollution coming from urban settlements, associated with industrial practices, and growing tourism, affecting water quality for irrigation and human consumption.  The underlying causes of these threats include rapid population growth, weak institutional capacity of local and regional administrations, inadequate land use planning and lack of conservation legislation at provincial level. 

Addressing the threats described above allows conservation of wildlife populations and favours the processes of dispersion and genetic flow between the two national parks.  It also assures the provision of key ecosystem services such as water provision and carbon sequestration.

The project

The overall goal is to consolidate a sustainable landscape in the Llanganates-Sangay Ecological Corridor, that ensures the maintenance of key environmental services and connectivity between the two national parks, while contributing to improve livelihoods of local communities.  

This will be achieved through the following strategies: (1) Promote conservation and sustainable land management of the Llanganates-Sangay Ecological Corridor, to ensure connectivity between the two protected areas, and the provision of environmental services that sustain the local population. (2) Strengthen the local governance of the CELS to maintain a common vision and actions towards a sustainable territory among key local stakeholders and promote knowledge transfer through the creation of networks around connectivity and ecological corridors.

At the end of the project the following outcomes will be reached:

  1. Conservation of key biodiversity areas of the CELS was reinforced
  2. Livelihood activities, with a negative impact on biodiversity in the CELS have decreased
  3. Local governance mechanisms were created and strengthened, to address the negative impacts of current land management practices in the biodiversity of the CELS 
  4. Efforts in Ecuador regarding management of Corridors are informed by lessons learned from approaches taken in the CELS

The project will align with national and local development and conservation policies and plans, including the National Biodiversity Strategy 2015-2030 which establishes the management guidelines for connectivity for conservation purposes, including the design, establishment and management of corridors, to help prevent the loss of biodiversity.