One Province, 13 Protected Ecosystems

Through establishing a protected area system, the province of Pichincha, in Ecuador, ensures the long-term protection of 13 different ecosystems and, therefore, a unique diversity of species that cannot be found anywhere else.

“We all have an obligation to take care of our common home, to protect our environment, to encourage the protection of water, of air, and above all, of our Earth,” states Paola Pabón, Prefect of the Pichincha Province.

The Pichincha Provincial System of Conservation and Sustainable Use Areas – or SPACUS which stands for Sistema Provincial de Área de Conservación y Uso Sustentable – covers 120,722 hectares, located at the intersection of the Tropical Andes and Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena where at least 67 endemic species of birds live, including the vulnerable long-wattled umbrellabird and the endangered baudo guan. The protection of ecosystems is inextricably linked with the very survival of all species endemic to the northern Ecuadorian province of Pichincha and with the safeguarding of water resources for local communities and the capital, Quito, not to mention contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation.