EcoCiencia, a foundation focused on environmental conservation, has identified 1.2 million hectares of wetlands in the Ecuadorian Amazon as part of their project aimed at mapping and designing a conservation approach for these vital ecosystems. This area represents 9.5% of the total land included in the Amazon Network of Socio-Environmental Information (RAISG). According to their findings, while 86% of these wetlands fall within designated protection systems, such as national protected areas and Ramsar sites, the remaining 14% lack any formal protection status.

The inclusion of wetlands in conservation programs is crucial as they serve as essential ecosystems that provide various environmental benefits, including biodiversity support, water purification, and carbon storage. The report underscores an urgent need to bolster conservation and territorial management actions for those unprotected wetlands. This call to action is based on the premise that these ecosystems face increasing threats from development and climate change, which could further jeopardize their ecological significance.

The project by EcoCiencia also included the creation of the first wetland mapping of the Amazon basin by integrating data from the 2000-2023 time series of the MapBiomas project, using Landsat satellite images. By highlighting the state of wetland protection in the Ecuadorian Amazon, the foundation aims to raise awareness of the current conservation gaps and encourage stakeholders to take necessary measures to ensure these crucial ecosystems receive the protection they need.