El Oriente
El Oriente is the part of the Amazon basin
which extends to the eastern slopes of the
Andes mountains.
Though El Oriente, with its rainforest, is rich
in natural
biodiversity, it, like other
rainforest regions of the world, is plagued
with problems. The forest continues to be threatened by encroaching settlers,
farmers, ranchers and international oil companies.
In addition to eroding the forest, these advances are pushing indigenous
peoples who have lived in the forest for centuries off their land or turning
them into living exhibits for the foreign tourists.
On the positive side, however, there are several NGOs active in developing
initiatives to protect the rainforest and to ensure the indigenous groups
who live in El Oriente are able to retain their land.
Organizations such as FOIN (Federación de
Organizaciones Indígenas del Napo), RICANCIE (Red Indígena de Comunidades
del Alto Napo para la Convivencia Intercultural y Ecoturismo), and ONHAE
(Organization of the Huarani) are working on projects such as the enforcement
of land demarcation and the promotion of ecotourism.
Their efforts are slowly turning the tide on the damage that has already been done.
