Ecuador has a very wide biodiversity within its 95,000 sq miles, including the famous Galapagos Islands and the less well-known attractions of the Andes and upper Amazon.
The country’s natural beauty is an asset that can be exploited by tourism, though there are concerns about the environment. The government is keen to develop ecotourism and is investing funds in seven national parks as alternative attractions to the Galapagos.
Environment minister Maria de Lourdes Luque de Jaramillo says foreign investors are not solely interested in taking over electri-city and telecoms companies.
According to the minister, the government aims to generate income from, and encourage foreign investment in, conservation projects.
Ms Luque de Jaramillo says a fifth of all bird species in the world are present in Ecuador. The country has a rich mixture of flora and fauna because of its varied geography.

“It is our strategy to create a long-term national biodiversity policy and we are launching a project called Biocommerce. We are designing this concept based on our natural resources. There are other countries that have already begun similar strategies with excellent results,” says Ms Luque de Jaramillo.
“The ministry does not have a green conservation policy, but instead it manages sustainable growth as a tool to balance economic development, environmental conservation and social responsibility. Only where there is a balance can projects be carried out.”
An example of this in action is the construction of the new OCP oil pipeline. “We have analyzed the social, economic and environmental impact,” adds Ms Luque de Jaramillo.