A Cloudy Future in Ecuador’s Rainforest

COCA, Ecuador — Over the canopy to the south, Ivan, a Quichua Indian, has spotted three macaws in flight. Moments later, binoculars train to a pair of white-throated toucans, and my group murmurs in excitement. The next item noted by our guide Oscar, however, is not a rare bird, deep in the Amazon rainforest: “Over there, the government has authorized a new, private highway from the coast to here.”

Standing in a metal tower 120 feet over the grounds of Sacha Lodge (an ecotourism jungle lodge down the Napo River from Coca, Ecuador), signs of human occupation and exploitation do not blemish the horizon. Yet, even at this special refuge within the Amazon, Ecuador’s approaching crossroads looms, a shadow over its mostly optimistic outlook. On the motored canoe ride from Coca to the lodge, several major worksites reveal the presence of oil operations in the region; barges laden with trucks drift by. Oil has been instrumental in Ecuador’s expanding economy, but pursuit of petroleum increasingly puts at risk the country’s most vast and irreplaceable resource—the rainforest.

Coca itself evokes an American western boomtown, with the equivalent of saloons and other entertainment for the Halliburton or Texaco employee looking to blow off steam. Across from the canoe dock stands a large military casino, funded by—no surprise—oil. A large amount of oil revenue (the local guides claim 40 percent) is funneled directly into Ecuador’s large military.

With such a reliance on developing oil revenue, Ecuador recognizes that its miles of jungle face unprecedented risk. The planned highway linking the Pacific Ocean to the Napo River will cause damage hard to assess before it strikes. With the large variability and low populations that characterize Amazon eco-systems, separating already-disperse species will have serious consequences.

As a somber mood descends upon our canopy-watchers, however, the guides explain that Ecuador recognizes this threat and wants to protect its forests. Without nearly the requisite funding, however, it has implored the international community to provide help. Germany has volunteered to lead this charge, but other countries—such as the United States—must join the effort if the jungles of Ecuador are to survive.


Alexander R. Konrad ’11, a Crimson editorial writer, is a history concentrator in Quincy House.