Conservation in Ecuador: Trees or oil

An ambitious scheme to save pristine forest starts to take shape THOUGH half of Ecuador lies in the Amazon basin, its rainforest is shrinking faster than in neighbouring countries (by 1.67% a year). It has been ravaged by logging, poachers and oil extraction. Settlers have streamed in to carve out a precarious life. Over the past decade they have been joined by thousands of refugees fleeing violence in Colombia, as well as guerrillas and drug traffickers who inflict it. Native tribes have been uprooted, forced deeper into the forest or have disappeared. The government of President Rafael Correa now wants help to keep pristine one of Ecuador’s most important remaining jungle areas, in the Yasuni national park. In a corner of the park known as ITT (after the Ishpingo, Tambococha and Tiputini rivers) lies an oilfield which preliminary seismic studies show holds almost 846m barrels of oil, or around 20% of Ecuador’s reserves. The ITT area is unusually biodiverse. It is thought to be home ... (link)