The Ministry of Environment has officially recognized the Llanganates–Yasuní Altitudinal Connectivity Corridor as a strategic area for the protection of Andean and Amazonian ecosystems. The corridor connects Llanganates National Park with the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve.
Byron Lagla, Director of Protected Areas and Other Forms of Conservation, stated: “This administrative act, which accepts the existence and delimits a corridor, marks the beginning of a new stage that entails greater responsibilities, but also opportunities to strengthen environmental management with technical support, as well as solid coordination between different levels of government.”
The ministry said this recognition encourages inter-institutional coordination and promotes management models that combine conservation with bioeconomy, nature tourism, and regenerative productive systems. These approaches are intended to provide direct benefits to local communities.
Covering about 216,000 hectares, the Llanganates–Yasuní corridor forms a continuous gradient linking high Andean páramos with lowland Amazonian forests. This transition supports wildlife movement, maintains important ecological processes, and offers adaptation opportunities in response to climate change.
The initiative was led by provincial governments from Napo and Pastaza along with municipal governments from Tena, Carlos Julio Arosemena Tola, Santa Clara, Arajuno, Pastaza, and Grupo Chakra. Technical support was provided by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), contributing to the creation of a network of connectivity corridors.
The Government of El Nuevo Ecuador acknowledged the support from Bezos Earth Fund, Harvey and Heidi Bookman, Programa Paisaje Yasuní, WCS in partnership with Legacy Landscapes Fund and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for their role in safeguarding biodiversity while ensuring ecosystem integrity, wildlife survival and community development.
