In the second half of this year, Ecuador expects to begin receiving new funding that will help it expand protected lands in its Amazon region and better support the Indigenous peoples who live there. National authorities have set a goal of adding 1.8 million hectares (4.4 million acres) of forest and wetlands to the 4.6 million hectares (11.4 million acres) of Ecuadorian Amazon land that already have protected status. In the process, they aim to promote climate resilience and conduct environmental restoration of 40,000 hectares (99,000 acres) of rainforest and 18,000 kilometers (11,000 miles) of rivers harmed by illegal activities ranging from mining to logging to wildlife trafficking. They also seek to support environmentally friendly development of economic value chains that benefit Indigenous communities. Eleven of the 14 Indigenous nationalities in Ecuador live in the country’s Amazon region. These efforts are being planned under the Amazonian Biocorridor (BCA), a government... [Log in to read more]