Chapter 2: The Ecuadorian Context In Key Players and Conflicting Goals in the Development Trajectory, Tammy Lewis briefly discusses the uniqueness of Ecuador. In the second chapter, The Ecuadorian Context, Lewis dives deeper into the reasons that makes Ecuador so unique. To begin the chapter, she discussed the socioenvironmental issues faced in the country. Socioenvironmental is defined as society based made environment which acts differently from a naturally made environment.
Ecuador is such a unique place to study because the amount of diversity found there. It is one of the most geographically diverse locations in the world. Although Ecuador is the fourth smallest nation in Latin America, they have four distinct regions: the Galapagos Islands, the Andes, the Amazon and the coast. The Galapagos Islands are the most well-known islands throughout the world, they are one of the most major ecotourism destinations in Ecuador. Guayaquil, one of the largest cities and main ports in Ecuador, is located in the coast. In the Andes, visitors can visit the capital city of Ecuador, Quito, which lies among several active volcanoes. East of the Andes is the Amazon which is a location that is very rich in petroleum. The Amazon is also home to several indigenous tribes. Being geologically diverse makes Ecuador one of the most species rich locations. It is home to thousands of animal and plant species, many being native to the country. There is an average of 4,000 plant species that are native to the country. As stated previously, the country is one of the smallest countries in Latin American and this high amount of biodiversity can be found on 0.2 percent of land. The amount of diversity of species not only help to determine the uniqueness of the country but determines the biological wealth as well (Rival, 2010).
A biodiversity hotspot is defined as a location that is biologically rich as well as severely threatened and is irreplaceable. There are currently 36 hotspots worldwide. It is important to protect locations of hot spots because they provide life to the rest of the Earth. Every species, animal and plants, depend on a hotspot to survive. These hotspots are often threatened by environmental issues including deforestation and human made pollutions. Although it may not seem like it, everything and everyone on earth relies on another being. For example, flowers rely on sunlight, bees rely on flowers, and humans rely on bees. Without sunlight, the flowers wouldn’t be able to grow. Without flower’s, bees wouldn’t be able to pollinate and survive. Without bees, humans would lose one of the best agro- ecosystem services (i.e. honey). This is important because if one component of our ecosystem is threatened, the rest of the world could be affected.
Protecting hotspots and the species that are found in them are essential if humans want to survive. Unfortunately, not every hotspot location can be saved. Due to the unavailability of funds, only certain species are able to be saved. This fund shortage has caused environmental conservationist to develop plans that would save the largest area with a small amount of money (Meyers, 1988). According to Tammy Lewis, Ecuador is one of the top countries to receive environmental funding. In 1991, Ecuador received $4.5 million from public and private donors which was used to create biological research and conservation projects. When Texaco found oil in the Amazon in 1967, it influenced the decision making of the state. As I have mentioned in the previous chapter, drilling for oil and petroleum was one of the main issues of Ecuador in 2007. It caused political, economic, social and environmental issues. An increase of export revenue led to an increase of income, development, and better human health. Revenue made it easier to have access to safe drinking water. Petroleum is the main exports and revenue brought to the country. The amount of oil that is found in one of the largest reserves found in Ecuador is averaged at a value of $720 million in the U.S. (Rival, 2010) When petroleum was discovered in 1970, an average of 4,100 barrels were exported. In 2012, over a half a million barrels were exported. Ecuador, primarily rich bureaucrats, relies on the exports of petroleum for their economic growth. Oil, bananas, seafood, flowers and cacao exports have positively influenced Ecuador’s economic growth; however, they have also negatively affected the country’s environment. These exports have not only affected the environment but they have begun to cause harm to human health. The cultivation of each has caused an increase in deforestation, fumigated caused illnesses, soil erosion, water and air pollution, and municipal solid waste. The topics discussed in this chapter is a topic that I feel the most passionate about. If humans understood the importance of the environment and began to care more about it, we could have a huge opportunity to save it. If they cared from the very beginning, these environmental issues could have been prevented. Little by little more people have gained a respect for the environment but there is still a large amount of people who are contributing to these issues. I am very excited to witness this large amount of biodiversity for myself. I have wanted to visit the Galapagos Islands for the longest time and I finally have the opportunity to do so. This chapter has increased my excitement and led me to want to learn more about what Ecuador has to offer.