Ecuador - Overview

Remark:

Please note that this country profile has been prepared by the Secretariat on the basis of information provided in the NBSAP and national reports, but has not been reviewed by the Party concerned.

First National Report

• Spanish version (PDF)

Status and Trends of Biodiversity

Overview

Ecuador is one of the world’s “megadiverse” countries. It is divided into 4 well-defined geographical zones: the coast, the mountain range, the eastern divide and the Galapagos Islands. Ecuador possesses 26 distinguished habitat types, each one with characteristic flora related to altitude and precipitation. Among these are three of the world’s 10 biodiversity “hot spots,” which correspond to managed areas having high floral and faunal diversity: the humid forests of the northwest, the outside faces of the mountain range and the Amazon forests of the northeast... More »

Number and Extent of Protected Areas

The National Protected Areas System accounts for about 16% of the national territory, covering 4,392,514ha in 22 areas.

Percentage of Forest Cover

The total forest cover is about 11,551,000ha, of which 11,473,000ha are natural forest and 78,000ha are plantations, and represents 42% of the total national surface area.

National Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan

Major features of National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

The 2020 vision of Ecuador’s National Strategy is: that Ecuador conserve and sustainably use its biodiversity, which is expressed in a better quality of life for its population, in the optimal use of its associated economic, social, cultural and environmental resources, and in the equitable distribution of the costs and benefits, derived from the use and conservation of biodiversity resources, among Ecuadorian society... More »

National Contacts

Full details of national contacts »

Convention on Biological Diversity

Dra. Lucía Gallardo	CBD Primary NFP
Mr. Antonio Matamoros	CBD Primary NFP, CHM NFP
Dr. Wilson Rojas	Access and Benefit Sharing NFP

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

Dr. Wilson Rojas

Cartagena Protocol Primary NFP, BCH NFP