Del Potencial a la Acción: OMEC y Conservación Inclusiva en Ecuador

The Sapara Nation in Ecuador manages 322,029 hectares of high-biodiversity rainforest through a spiritual cosmovision and traditional governance. While the community of Llanchamacocha has established strict conservation zones like Kamunguishi and sustainable ecotourism via the Naku project, they face significant threats from oil exploration (specifically blocks 79 and 83), illegal logging, and internal fragmentation. State-led incentive programs like Socio Bosque (PSB) have provided financial support but also triggered internal conflicts over benefit distribution. The document argues that long-term conservation requires full legal land titling, respect for Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), and financing mechanisms that align with indigenous spiritual values and autonomy.

• The Sapara Nation's territory covers 322,029 hectares in the Pastaza province of the Ecuadorian Amazon, with 121,682 hectares (38%) recognized under the Socio Bosque (PSB) program until 2029.
• Conservation is driven by a spiritual cosmovision, exemplified by Kamunguishi, a sacred territory of absolute protection where all resource extraction is prohibited to maintain planetary balance.
• The territory faces severe pressure from extractivism, notably oil blocks 79 and 83 licensed to Andes Petroleum, which overlap approximately 186,000 hectares of Sapara land.
• The community has developed the Naku project, a community-owned ecotourism initiative focused on ancestral healing and spirituality to generate sustainable income and fund local health and education.
• State-led conservation incentives, specifically the Socio Bosque (PSB) program, have caused internal social tensions and organizational fragmentation due to unequal benefit distribution and lack of transparent consultation.
• Sapara governance integrates traditional leadership, such as the Council of Elders, with the practice of sharing dreams to guide collective political and daily decisions.
• Structural barriers to conservation include the lack of full legal land titling, the exodus of youth to urban areas, and limited technical capacity for environmental monitoring.

APA

Crespo, J. M., & Falconi, E. (2025). Del Potencial a la Acción: OMEC y Conservación Inclusiva en Ecuador. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1819/Ecuador_CS_Comunidad_Llanchamacocha_Nacion_Sapara.pdf

Chicago

Crespo, Juan Manuel, and Esteban Falconi. Del Potencial a la Acción: OMEC y Conservación Inclusiva en Ecuador. WWF International, 2025. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1819/Ecuador_CS_Comunidad_Llanchamacocha_Nacion_Sapara.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Crespo |first1=Juan Manuel |last2=Falconi |first2=Esteban |title=Del Potencial a la Acción: OMEC y Conservación Inclusiva en Ecuador |publisher=WWF International |date=December 2025 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1819/Ecuador_CS_Comunidad_Llanchamacocha_Nacion_Sapara.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{crespo2025del, author = {Crespo, Juan Manuel and Falconi, Esteban}, title = {{Del Potencial a la Acción: OMEC y Conservación Inclusiva en Ecuador}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1819/Ecuador_CS_Comunidad_Llanchamacocha_Nacion_Sapara.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }