 |
Ecuador has approximately 10 million hectares of native forests. Those forests store a large amount of carbon, hold levels of biodiversity that are among the highest on the planet, and generate other environmental services crucial for human well being. Around 60% of the forest area is located outside the National System of Protected Areas, most of which is owned by private land owners and indigenous communities However, those forests are seriously threatened in areas with high forest cover, 64% of the population lives in poverty and around 22% in extreme poverty. Under these conditions, pressure to exploit and convert forests is high, among others because there is a lack of economic incentives to conserve the forest. Ecuador has one of the highest deforestation rates in the region. Around 200,000 hectares of native forest are lost each year, which represents CO2 emissions of about 55 million tons per year.
|
 |
