President Daniel Noboa Azin has introduced the General Regulation to the Organic Law for the Strengthening of Protected Areas through Executive Decree No. 212. The regulation will come into effect after its publication in the Official Register.
The decree also amends the Regulation to the Organic Environmental Code, which was published in June 2019, by adding Article 149.1 concerning “Sanctions in the National System of Protected Areas.” This article specifies that violations committed within protected areas will be sanctioned by the competent authority responsible for those areas.
The Ministry of Environment and Energy (MAE) is using this regulation to modernize management within Ecuador’s National System of Protected Areas (SNAP), aiming to strengthen conservation efforts across more than 26 million hectares of natural heritage.
The new rules set updated standards for training, certification, operational conditions, and institutional support for park rangers. Their strategic role in protecting biodiversity and territorial control within protected areas is formally recognized.
A public trust fund will be established to provide stable resources for essential activities such as monitoring biodiversity, controlling and supervising protected zones, managing visitors, promoting sustainable tourism, and supporting community development.
The regulation encourages active participation from indigenous peoples, local communities, and decentralized autonomous governments. It promotes co-management models and a more inclusive governance structure based on dialogue and shared responsibility.
There are also specific provisions aimed at improving security within these territories. Protocols have been put in place for monitoring, surveillance, and responding to unauthorized activities or risk situations—measures intended to reinforce ecological integrity in protected areas.
Processes related to control, monitoring, and sanctions are being updated to ensure management aligns with international conservation standards while increasing effectiveness and transparency.
“The Government of El Nuevo Ecuador fulfills and consolidates a modern, professional, participatory, and robust conservation model with this new Regulation,” according to an official statement. “It reaffirms its commitment to protecting natural heritage and ensuring a sustainable future for present and future generations.”
