Urcu Yaku Kamak (“Guardians of Mountain Water”) Conservation Area protects Páramo Wetlands in Ecuador’s Central Andes

In Ecuador’s Central Andes, where páramo wetlands flourish under the watchful gaze of Andean condors and rivers carve through mountains, a group of communities and local leaders, led by Chimborazo’s provincial government, decided to take conservation action. On November 21, 2024, Chimborazo’s provincial government established the Urcu Yaku Kamak Provincial Conservation and Sustainable Use Area spanning 52,681 acres (21,319 hectares) of biodiverse high altitude páramo wetlands and Andean forests. The local inhabitants’ strong connection to the volcanic land gives the conservation area its name: Urcu Yaku Kamak, a Kichwa term, meaning “guardians of mountain water”. 

Protecting high-altitude ecosystems and water sources

The provincial conservation area is located in the buffer zone of Sangay National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, which encompasses terrain ranging from tropical rainforests to glaciers and has within it three volcanoes: Tungurahua (16,456 feet), Sangay (17,158 feet), and Altar (17,450 feet). Sangay National Park protects endangered species such as the mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque). The establishment of Urcu Yaku Kamak adds protection to sensitive Andean ecosystems west of Sangay National Park. Páramos and páramo grasslands encompass over 70% of the territory of  Urcu Yaku Kamak. This habitat is crucial for regulating the water cycle as the paramo’s vegetation acts like a sponge that retains water and releases it slowly, maintaining a balanced flow downstream for rivers and other waterbodies. 

Resilience for Urcu Yaku Kamak’s páramos 

The initiative to establish the provincial conservation area arose out of the urgency to guarantee water security for surrounding communities and safeguard the biodiverse high-altitude ecosystems of Urcu Yaku Kamak from climate change threats. The establishment promotes co-management of the area, aligning with the vision of local communities in the cantons of Penipe, Riobamba, and Chambo who are committed to the traditional management of their territories for environmental protection. The long-term management activities of the newly established area aim to: preserve the important environmental services of the páramos, implement co-management activities that assist in the recovery of traditional environmental stewardship practices, and strengthen environmental research, education, and restoration activities in the conservation area. 

Acknowledgements:

The establishment of the Urcu Yaku Kamak provincial conservation area was accomplished thanks to Chimborazo’s Provincial Government, the Environmental Management Directorate (Dirección de Gestión Ambiental) of the Provincial Government of Chimborazo, parish leaders, and local communities from the cantons of Penipe, Riobamba, and Chambo. Technical assistance was provided by the BYOS Corporation in alliance with the Latin American Future Foundation (FFLA) with the financial support of the Andes Amazon Fund. 

Read more: https://www.ffla.net/es/chimborazo-lidera-la-conservacion-nace-el-area-de-conservacion-y-uso-sustentable-urcu-yaku-kamak/