Connectivity Corridors in two priority landscapes of the Ecuadorian Amazon Region

The project aims to establish two connectivity corridors in the Ecuadorian Amazon to combat habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss. It focuses on the Putumayo-Aguarico and Palora-Pastaza landscapes, targeting the creation of 50,000 hectares of new protected areas. The strategy involves promoting Sustainable Land Management (SLM) in agricultural areas, strengthening bioeconomy initiatives for indigenous and local communities, and creating multi-level governance platforms to integrate connectivity into territorial planning. The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) with a total cost of $6,423,853 and significant co-financing from the Ecuadorian government and international partners.

• The project targets two priority landscapes: Putumayo-Aguarico, covering 144,915 ha with 78% forest cover, and Palora-Pastaza, covering 178,129 ha with 86% forest cover.
• The primary environmental problem is habitat fragmentation and a lack of connectivity between Protected Areas (PAs), which leads to biodiversity loss and ecosystem integrity degradation.
• The project aims to create at least 50,000 hectares of new protected areas through the establishment of two connectivity corridors.
• The project expects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 212,644 tons of CO2 equivalent by avoiding deforestation and degradation.
• The project will implement Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices across 2,000 hectares of existing agricultural and livestock production systems.
• A total of 118,000 hectares of landscape are expected to be under improved management to benefit biodiversity, including 18,000 ha managed by bioeconomy initiatives and 100,000 ha through updated territorial plans (PDOTs).
• The project identifies the expansion of the agricultural frontier and unsustainable agricultural practices as the most urgent threats to connectivity in the target landscapes.
• The project will support bioeconomy initiatives involving products such as paiche, cachama, citronella, guayusa, ungurahua, turmeric, ishpingo, morete, sacha inchi, and community nature-based tourism.
• The project will utilize Farmer Field Schools (ECAs) to train producers in sustainable agricultural practices, with a target of at least 4,000 direct beneficiaries, of whom at least 40% should be women.
• The project is designed to implement the ecological connectivity model established by the Ecuadorian government in Ministerial Agreement No. MAE-2020-019.
• The total project cost is $6,423,853 from the GEF, with an additional $45,061,551 in co-financing from the Ministry of Environment, SCTEA, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, WWF, and Conservation International.

APA

WWF International (2021). Connectivity Corridors in two priority landscapes of the Ecuadorian Amazon Region. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/3k5pba02fo_ASL_Ecuador_ProDoc_Final.pdf?_ga=2.216653269.211954642.1657903655-1739268089.1657567268

Chicago

WWF International. Connectivity Corridors in two priority landscapes of the Ecuadorian Amazon Region. 2021. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/3k5pba02fo_ASL_Ecuador_ProDoc_Final.pdf?_ga=2.216653269.211954642.1657903655-1739268089.1657567268.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Connectivity Corridors in two priority landscapes of the Ecuadorian Amazon Region |date=26 February 2021 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/3k5pba02fo_ASL_Ecuador_ProDoc_Final.pdf?_ga=2.216653269.211954642.1657903655-1739268089.1657567268 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2021connectivity, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Connectivity Corridors in two priority landscapes of the Ecuadorian Amazon Region}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/3k5pba02fo_ASL_Ecuador_ProDoc_Final.pdf?_ga=2.216653269.211954642.1657903655-1739268089.1657567268}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }