Project description and objectives

Ecuador's high Andean mountain ecosystems, as sources of water and habitats of a unique biological diversity, are increasingly exposed to degradation due to pressure of use, unsustainable management and insufficiently coordinated and implemented spatial planning. The target groups are the rural population in the Andean highlands of Ecuador, especially smallholders of indigenous peoples and mestizos implementing land management practices in 4 provinces (Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, Tungurahua and Bolivar). The aim of the project is to improve the restoration of the Andean mountain ecosystems through advising the Ministry of Environment (MAAE) and other stakeholders on spatial planning, restoration of the paramos ecosystem in the Andean mountains and promotion of selected value chains as an alternative to resource-degrading agriculture.

Our contribution

Activities implemented for output 1:

• Identify subsistence and marketable products and services that do not have negative impacts on mountain ecosystems (e.g. alpaca and vicuña products, dairy products, agricultural products, tourism, etc.) and are adapted to climate change.
• Develop sustainable, profitable and climate-smart value chains (incl. promotion of agroecological practices, and improving access to services, inputs, technical assistance, financing) and financial incentive mechanisms.
• Establish public-private partnerships.
• Monitoring and evaluation of the impact of productive measures on the quality of life of producers and the agricultural frontier (with the participation of producers).

Activities implemented for output 2:

• Identify suitable areas for ecosystem protection and restoration through different management models (e.g. state nature reserves, water protection areas, areas conserved by water management groups or with SocioBosque programme funding, biocorridors, etc.) and map/monitor the agricultural boundary.
• Technical advice on the implementation of prioritized protection and restoration measures (including fire management).
• Creation of a model to analyze cost-benefit data of restoration measures.
• Identify and develop funding lines to conserve and enhance ecosystem services and improve access to funding sources.
• Development of investment plans and/or advise on the use of funding.

Activities implemented for output 3:

• Develop and implement spatial planning tools at the different levels of watershed or conservation areas (e.g. páramo management plans, watershed management plans, development and spatial plans, livelihood plans, etc.).

Documents (PDF):

• Factsheet_Central_Highland_Intervention_Area_GIZ_2022
• Factsheet_Intervention_Area_Canar_GIZ_2022
• Factsheet_Mountain_Actualizacion_Junio_2022_GIZ