Ecuador launches major conservation projects for forests and flagship wildlife species

The Ecuadorian government and the Ministry of Environment and Energy inaugurated two large‑scale conservation initiatives. The first, the "Vanishing Treasures II" project, funded by Luxembourg and the United Nations Environment Programme, will pilot interventions in the Andes and Amazon foothills to protect the endangered Andean bear and jaguar and build climate‑resilient habitats.

The second initiative, the National Forest Conservation Project 2026‑2029, released more than US $1 million in incentives to 183 communities across 23 provinces, supporting sustainable forest management and bio‑entrepreneurship that have already helped conserve over 1.8 million hectares of native ecosystems.