Sustainable land use in Quito to safeguard vulnerable communities from floods, droughts and fires

This fact sheet describes a CDKN study and pilot project conducted with the Municipal Government of Quito and Ecopar Corporation to address climate vulnerabilities in Quito, Ecuador. The initiative focused on restoring ecosystems and promoting sustainable farming to protect low-income communities from landslides, wildfires, and erratic rainfall.

• The success of the project depended on the presence of political will, the interest of local communities, and the integration of the project into provincial development plans. Identifying and securing these enabling conditions is considered the first priority for similar initiatives.
• Engaging priority sectors and empowering key actors, such as agricultural stakeholders in Quito, ensures that projects respond to local needs and secure necessary buy-in.
• Medium-scale climate vulnerability studies are improved when local communities provide input and validate findings, which prevents the studies from overlooking local realities.
• To fully realize the potential of the city's adaptation plan, climate resilience criteria must be fully integrated into development planning decisions across all sectors, though this is described as a long and complex process.
• CDKN provided technical assistance to the Municipal Government of Quito for a five-year Action Plan containing approximately 50 projects, with 21 prioritized for action. This led to various climate projects, including the resettlement of families in flood-risk areas, the creation of urban green spaces, and the establishment of an agroforestry nursery to restore native species and prevent soil erosion and landslides.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2016). Sustainable land use in Quito to safeguard vulnerable communities from floods, droughts and fires. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CDKN-Essentials_Quito_Final_WEB.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Sustainable land use in Quito to safeguard vulnerable communities from floods, droughts and fires. 2016. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CDKN-Essentials_Quito_Final_WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=Sustainable land use in Quito to safeguard vulnerable communities from floods, droughts and fires |date=June 2016 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CDKN-Essentials_Quito_Final_WEB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2016sustainable, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{Sustainable land use in Quito to safeguard vulnerable communities from floods, droughts and fires}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2016}, month = jun, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CDKN-Essentials_Quito_Final_WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }