MAAP #204: New Road Construction in Ecuadorian Amazon Enters Waorani Indigenous Territory

January 31, 2024

MAAP #204 analyzes a new road project entering the western sector of the Waorani Indigenous Territory, located in the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon.

This road would cross 42 kilometers of primary forest from the Nushiño River to the community of Toñampade, bringing the potential of opening new deforestation fronts along the route.

Although this road project was managed, approved, and promoted through the Waorani Nationality of Ecuador (NAWE) the Waorani Organization of Pastaza (OWAP) presented a complaint to the Ministry of the Environment in March 2023, requesting that construction be suspended until the protection of the ecosystems is ensured. In July, an assembly convened by the NAWE was held to discuss the project, and an agreement was obtained that both Waorani entities would provide territorial monitoring and control.

This report analyzes the current state of the road, focusing on deforestation caused by the construction and what actions are being carried out by Waorani organizations to monitor the project.

Click here to read the full report. 

This report is part of a series focused on the Ecuadorian Amazon through a strategic collaboration between the organizations Fundación EcoCiencia and Amazon Conservation, with the support of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).