About ECUADOR
About the CUQUIBA reserve
About Finca San Pedro
See also FUNDESAPE
Finca San Pedro
- - Email address: klalama - -@yahoo.com
In 2008 was the bank-account 4050427900 with name Finca San Pedro at Banco del Pichincha ECUADOR.
One could add the name K.Lalama QUITO P.O.Box 17-11-6142
The international so-called BIC-code of the bank is PICHECEQ
Costs of bank-transfer from Europe are about Euro 10 (Euro 6 in Europe and U.S.Dollar 5 in Ecuador)
Introduction
Rain forest has an important role in regulation of nutrient and energy flows, hydrological
regimes and reduction of erosion. As well it contributed highlight social, ecological and
economic aspects for the local communities.
Deforestation of the tropical forest alters the climate because it intensifies droughts in the
dry season and floods in the rainy season, leading to soil erosion and the drying up of
rivers. Which results in fewer animal and plant species, and unreliable water supply and
increased health risks for the local people.
We must take a concrete action realizing that our future is inextricably linked to the future
and health of our environment. That while often these interests may seem to conflict, they can
be made to coexist and even thrive together.
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(Rain forest conservation "Trees for bees" Project , draft 2002/11/18)
Cuquiba rain forest reserve (Esmeraldas-Ecuador)
Location: Pacific coast of Ecuador on the north province of Esmeraldas
Many communities in Ecuador's last remaining coastal rainforest are only accessible by
canoe. One of them is the Cuquiba community, which is located in the tropical rain forest
region along the Esmeraldas river in the province of Esmeraldas-Ecuador.
The Cuquiba Indians and afro-Ecuadorians live in the forest relying on the resources of the
forest to meet all their needs.
The encroachment and growth of modern civilization, the demand for lumber in Ecuador
has grown apace, and with it, the exploitation of the forest by lumber companies and
particulars has grown as well.
The high rate of deforestation in this region has begun 2 years ago with teak tree
plantations by private teak growers purchasing the land and taking out all the native
forest for commercial logging. These actions have been taken without consultation, or
against the wishes of the indigenous people. Either way, harvesting has been largely
indiscriminate and has left barren tracts of land without much thought for the
regeneration of the native forest.
The livestock production of some local people as well are responsible for the deforestation
and soil erosion resulting in the biodiversity destruction of the habitat and the species
that live in the forest.
It is crucial to start sustainable management alternatives with the participation of local
communities to adopt a sustainable forest management in this region, which is rich in
native forest. This native forest has been protected because there is no bridge to connect it
with the main roads but nowadays it is in a danger to disappear because the teak tree
producers have seen the opportunities and the high fertility of the soil to set up their
plantations.
The priority is to conserve the land and to have a place to provide to the local
community capacity building, organization, information and help in a pilot conservation
natural reserve project, which combines tropical rain forest conservation, forest management
and ecological agricultural projects. The conservation reserve will be a place for
canalization of local education for sustainable projects in the community, where the
people are poor and are relying on the forest and are subject to the purchase of nature for
teak plantations or livestock.
Cuquiba Geography:
The Cuquiba village is located in the rural district of Majua in the north occidental part of
Ecuador on the pacific coast of Esmeraldas Province. This village has grown beside of the
Cuquiba’s affluent of the Esmeraldas river. The Esmeraldas river is used to be the main
connection between Cuquiba and the village Majua. The transport between these villages
is with boats, where the agriculture products are taken out for the trade.
Inside of the Cuquiba region there is no paved route and the main transportation is with
horses, donkeys or walking. The street is of 4th order and is 3 km 50mts. But is destroyed
by the streams of water which cross over in the winter. Majua village crossing the
Esmeraldas river from Cuquiba region has a pavement road which connects to Viche and
Esmeraldas city.
The climate is a humid tropical region. The altitudes go from 10 Mts. to 800 Mts. The rank temperatures diary is between 20-24 degrees. The precipitation occurs in the rainy season from December to May and the absence of rain or dry season from June to November.
Socioeconomic diagnostic
The Cuquiba community population is 58 families with about 3 children each (524
people in total). (INEC,2002)
This people don’t have primary education and they depend on the subsistence agriculture
reeling in the tropical rain forest products, few of them have small cacao plantations, and
as well the majority have: pigs, chickens, ducks, and few cows for milk and
cheese. Their transportation is by horses and donkeys in the region and with boat to
cross over the Esmeraldas river to have access to Majua village and connection with the
main route.
The people are poor, their activities are in subsistence agricultural production (maize,
rice, beans, coffee and bananas) and are depending moreover on the offer of work in the
place.
Owned land, Each family has around 15 has. And has legalized papers. But nowadays they have the foreigners that offer to purchase their land for money, with the objective to install livestock and teak plantations.
Health, The Cuquiba community hav not any medical service and not any kind of medicines
available, there is not the infrastructure for medical and sanitary provisions. Some of the
families don’t have latrines. The livestock contaminates the water that comes from the
mountain and the rivers and there is no installation of water tubes and management of trash.
The medical situation is the intestinal problems, and epidemic, there is no vaccination to
the kids for tropical diseases.
Education, 90% of the community doesn’t read and write. There is available primary school classes given with one professor, but there is not the assistance of the kids because the need to help their parents in the agriculture.
Cultural structure, Mestizos (indian/european) and Africans. The language is Spanish.
Description of Finca San Pedro:
Area: 50 hectares
10 hectares: tropical organic agriculture (banana and cacao)
5 hectares: teak tree plantation
35hectares: tropical rain forest. (high diversity of animals, plants and insects).
Other: Wooden house all furnished (4 rooms, living room, kitchen, dining room, bathroom
and toilet) and with treated drinking water.
Activities:
Protection of the area, place for the development of other activities that are needed to keep the rainforest, also for beekeeping production of honey including the medicinal stinglessbee honey.
Opportunities for the local community to participate in the projects that improve the quality of their part of land and rain forest.
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