New office in Quito marked by commitment to Ecuadorian indigenous communities

Practical Action has made a commitment to support millions of people living in Ecuador’s Amazon region, along with their Government’s efforts to protecting biodiversity.

The comments were made at an event held to mark the official opening of Practical Action’s first office in the country.

Representatives from the national government, indigenous organisations, the British Embassy and the private sector, saw how Practical Action is helping create climate resilience with people from the Chankuap, Tsapau, Nunkui and Taramak associations by improving their job opportunities in a sustainable way.

The work is part of the Andes-Amazon programme within the Biodiverse Landscape Fund, a £100m UK Government programme designed to protect and restore the world’s most critically important landscapes.

Chris Campbell, UK Ambassador in Ecuador, said: “We are brought together by a common purpose: to share the progress of one of our flagship programmes here in Ecuador.

“The project is generating tangible results, strengthening local capacities and contributing to public policies that seek to transform the relationship between people and nature.

“I am convinced that BLF Andes Amazon is acting with commitment and care, which is already reflected in positive and sustainable impact. I extend a warm and formal welcome to Practical Action. Its presence in Ecuador will bring important contributions and many successes.”

Regional director for Latin America, Alicia Quezada, said: “Climate resilience and biodiversity are global priorities, but they can only be addressed with leadership and ownership from the reality of each country.

“By expanding our work in Ecuador, we reaffirm our commitment to building transformative solutions with communities, governments and local partners.”

Working in Ecuador to increase climate resilience and conserve the country’s extraordinary biodiversity marks a new milestone in Practical Action’s strategy of helping reverse and protect environmental damage around the world by working with the people who live and manage these landscapes.

Sarah Roberts, CEO of Practical Action, addressed the event remotely. She said: “Across the globe, we work with communities facing poverty, inequality and climate crisis.

“Together with governments, companies and civil society, we overcome the barriers that limit their opportunities. After 40 years in Latin America, today we reinforce our commitment in Ecuador. Because conserving biodiversity also means supporting those who protect it.”

The progress made in the Andes Amazon programme was also presented during the event.

It is delivered in the landscape shared by Ecuador and Peru and has three distinct areas of work. The first addresses biodiversity conservation and connectivity.

The second strategic line supports indigenous organisations and their governance, enabling them to access green funding and gain recognition by national governments and actors.

The third promotes and strengthens farmers and green businesses in the coffee, cocoa and green banana markets by showcasing the potential of people to earn good incomes through the use of ancestral knowledge and living in harmony with nature.

In addition, Practical Action will support Ecuador in achieving national commitments on biodiversity and climate, and expanding nature-based solutions such as agroforestry, to improve resilience to climate change.

This will also be delivered through funding from the Swiss Development Cooperation and the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance.

‘We are not here to duplicate efforts; we are here to collaborate in reaching these goals with technical rigour, territorial commitment and a long-term vision,’ said Balvanera Cruz, Practical Action’s representative in Ecuador.

Work with the indigenous communities transforms ancestral knowledge into sustainable products such as honey from native bees and natural cosmetics based on medicinal plants, food manufactured in the region.

Other organisations that joined the event were: The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon (CONFENIAE), representatives from the Shuar Arutam People (PSHA) and Shuar Nation of Ecuador (NASHE), the Achuar Nationality of Ecuador (NAE) and Provincial Federation of the Shuar Nationality of Zamora Chinchipe (FEPNASH – ZCH).

The Biodiverse Landscapes Fund in the region is managed and led by Practical Action, with support from its partners, Nature and Culture International (NCI), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Cooperation for the Development of Emerging Countries (COSPE), Terra Nuova and the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Forest (AIDESEP).