Good news indeed from Anja's friend and co-worker Carlos. Cotacachi is the Canton containing the Los Cedros Biological Reserve and also  where Anja is based.

Wednesday, 13 September 2000 12:36

DEAR FRIENDS.

IT REALLY IS A GREAT PLEASURE to inform all of you that last evening (Sept 11) the Cotacachi Municipal government approved the declaration making our County the first Ecological County in Ecuador, and possibly the continent (Cotacachi County has about 30,000 inhabitants and is approximately 1500 square kilometres in area, and ranges in altitude from between 300 meters to 4950 meters above sea level, having important stands of native forests).

The declaration gives legal support to the September 1997 declaration approved during the Second "Asamblea de Unidad Cantonal", a people's assembly instituted by the actual indigenous mayor, Auki Tituaña.

The implications are enormous for a country like Ecuador, where in the past most of the conservation measures have been (very badly) undertaken by the central government.

In summary, the Ordinances, through the municipal government and local n.g.o.´s will:

- Prioritise and encourage sustainable economic activities over all others (activities and industries based on the sustainable use of renewable resources)

- Declare conservation of native forests and biodiversity a priority (native forests will not be able to be replaced by the logging, palm, or mining industries).

- Help create Municipal AND Community Protected Areas

- Support Organic Farming, Agro-forestry, ECOLOGICAL AND COMMUNITY TOURISM, and Conservation over all other economic activities.

- Prohibits the establishment of industries that contaminate the
environment with toxic substances, such as heavy metals (like mining!)

- Foment and implement reforestation projects with native species

- Prohibit the operation of toxic agro, and flower industries

- Actively protects and rehabilitates watersheds (especial measures when used by communities)

- Prohibit (through fines) the contamination of all natural resources, and especially water.

- Foment the use of clean energy

- Try and phase out the use of toxic substances used in all industries

- Prohibits the use of genetically modified products or organisms

- Implement a comprehensive re-cycling program (separation of garbage - incentive to the use of returnable beverage bottles)

- Supports the creation of green areas within populated centres

- Implement a county-wide environmental education program

- Promote active participation in conservation of our resources through a series of economic, social and moral incentives given by County authorities.


These are just some of the measures, there are quite a few more. One of these fine days I´ll write a more in-depth analysis. For those who are curious, we hope that the Municipality will have the ordinance on the Web in a few weeks (as soon as they get their Web page up-*it will be in Spanish). Might have to wait a few months for the English version....

I realize that for some of you from the so-called "developed countries" this may not seem like such a big deal, but for Ecuador, this is a giant step. We at Decoin are proud to have participated intimately in the creation of the ordinance. We also hope that we, and especially the Municipal Authorities, can count on your support to help implement the ordinances.

Sincerely, and happily,

Carlo Zorrilla
DECOIN

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