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The Mancomunidad del Chocó Andino (MCA) in Ecuador manages a 124,000-hectare mosaic of conservation areas, including private reserves and biosphere components, to protect high biodiversity against extractive threats. While the MCA employs a participatory governance model involving local governments and community networks, it faces significant challenges from state-led mining concessions, land tenure insecurity, and fragmented financing. The document argues that the OECM framework could strengthen the MCA by providing legal recognition of local control and facilitating access to sustainable funding, provided it avoids top-down administrative burdens.

The document details how the Metropolitan District of Quito (DMQ) collaborated with the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) to develop a climate vulnerability study and a five-year Action Plan. It highlights that the successful integration of climate data into policy was driven by a participatory approach involving local technical experts and the alignment of the study's methodology with the municipality's specific needs. The process emphasized intersectoral coordination and the inclusion of diverse perspectives, including gender-specific understandings of vulnerability, to implement practical adaptation solutions.