On December 17, 2020, at the Pindo Mirador Research Center of the Mera canton, PROAmazonía participated in the General Assembly of the Pastaza Local Environmental Education Advisory Council, during which it was agreed that the presentation and start of the management of the Pastaza Provincial Environmental Education Plan will take place in April 2021. The main objective is to promote and disseminate the importance of environmental conservation in the province.

This initiative is carried out within the framework of the National Strategy for Environmental Education 2017 – 2030 (ENEA). This document states that environmental education requires permanent processes of education, training and research, both formal and informal within the framework of public policies, that contribute to raising the level of awareness of the population about the importance of the natural heritage, its main problems and their cause-effect relationships, in the social, economic and political context. ENEA seeks to promote the development of an environmental identity and awareness in the Ecuadorian population, which allows them to act consistently as part of nature in all their socio-environmental relationships and achieve sustainable lifestyles.

On the other hand, ENEA considers the Local Environmental Education Advisory Committees/Councils (CCLEA) as an instance that will facilitate their operation at the national, regional and local levels. This is done through inter-sectoral and inter-institutional governmental, non-governmental and civil society coordination. It is under this context that on February 12, 2020, an Inter-institutional Cooperation Agreement was signed between the Provincial Decentralized Autonomous Government of Pastaza and the Ministry of Environment and Water (MAAE) in order to “coordinate and implement the local environmental education advisory council – CCLEAPz in the province of Pastaza.”

In June 2020, the Amazon Forest Conservation and Sustainable Production Program (PROAmazonía), an initiative led by the Ministry of Environment and Water (MAAE) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), received the invitation to form part of the Pastaza Local Environmental Education Advisory Council – CCLEAPz. PROAmazonía formally accepted this invitation and promised to fulfill the functions and responsibilities established by this participation instance. In turn, the regulation of the Organic Environmental Code (COA) allows PROAmazonía, the MAAE and the MAG, to retain the actions that they normally carry out within the framework of their competencies.

The participation and support of PROAmazonía in the CCLEAPz has focused on activities such as the approval of the internal regulations; the election of the board of directors; reform of the internal regulations and the creation of working commissions. PROAmazonía has been a member of the Territorial Articulation Commission and has made the following contributions:

• Logistical support (virtual platform) in the event “Avitourism, Conservation and Climate Change Webinar.”
• Establishment of the work plan for the elaboration of the environmental diagnosis focused on environmental education.
• Coordination for the delivery of inputs to the consulting team that is in charge of preparing the Provincial Environmental Education Plan for Pastaza. All these actions have been taken in coordination with the National Environmental Authority of the province.

Photography: Miguel Cabrera

Description: Meeting of the General Assembly of the Pastaza Local Environmental Education Consultative Council of Pastaza – CCLEAPZ,

Pindo Mirador Environmental Research Center, Cantón Mera. (December 17, 2020).

Author: Miguel Ángel Cabrera, Technician of Pastaza Territorial Platforms