MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Ecuador undertakes Amazon reforestation project

Dávalos stressed that the forests “are essential to guarantee a prosperous and sustainable future”

Ecuador's Environment and Ecological Transition Minister José Antonio Dávalos announced that some 4,000 hectares of native forests in the Amazon region will be reforested because they are “sources of life” that provide clean air, water, and recreational spaces, it was reported in Quito.

Over 113,000 trees of more than 30 species were planted at a cost exceeding US$1.2 million, Dávalos explained. “Forests are a source of life that provide us with clean air, water, and spaces for recreation; they are also home to thousands of species of fauna and flora, an invaluable heritage for our society,” he pointed out.

The Minister also said that the reforestation was part of the National Landscape Restoration Project developed in the Amazonian provinces of Orellana and Sucumbios in northeast Ecuador.

In a Ministry press release, Dávalos also stressed the importance of this program, arguing that its “recovery and restoration are essential to guarantee a prosperous and sustainable future.”

The document also mentioned that the reforestation project used the establishment and strengthening of community enterprises to support the sustainability mechanism of the project areas, which helped boost the economy of the communities while promoting inclusion and a gender focus in these areas, as well as offering alternative livelihoods for the beneficiaries.

The restoration was planned under the landscape approach in the Amazon region of northern Ecuador with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), through the National Landscape Restoration Project and PROAmazonia, and the execution of the Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries (Hivos).