Indigenous Guardians Are Protecting the Rainforest

In Ecuador, the Kichwa community of Pakayaku has successfully prevented mining, logging, and oil activities across 40,000 hectares of rainforest for generations through a community-led guardian programme.

“Women must be equal to men, and this is happening here,” said Ángel Santi, president of Pakayaku, praising the 45-member women’s patrol force that monitors the territory.

The community’s guardian system patrols 99,000 acres of forest day and night, enforcing strict access rules, deterring incursions, and preserving cultural traditions, sustainable livelihoods, and a long-term land-use plan that prioritises ecological protection and economic independence without extraction.