|
|
|
| |
| Additional information |
| |
| Cooperación Alemana al Desarrollo (GTZ) |
| |
| |
Overview:
GTZ has been working in Ecuador since 1973 on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and other donors. Since 1985 it has maintained an office in the capital, Quito.
Ecuador has long been characterised by the concentration of economic and political power in its two major cities Quito and Guayaquil. In the 1970s, during a boom in state revenues from oil exports, the provision of services formerly undertaken by local authorities was centralised at the national level. The result was the costly and inefficient duplication of structures. This had a detrimental effect on the scope and quality of service provision. The political and social fragmentation of the country, and the frequent changes of government since the end of the last century have hampered any consensual and consistent development policy, especially for the provision of basic social services, environmental and resource protection and economic diversification. Because of this, living conditions for the poor in particular have worsened. In 2006 the national poverty rate stood at 38 percent. In rural areas, however, more than 60% of the population live in poverty, and almost 27 percent or the people count as extremely poor. More than half the indigenous population lives in extreme poverty. In the Human Development Index (HDI), Ecuador is ranked 89th of 177.
As a proportion of national income, agriculture and forestry contribute 40 percent and 17 percent respectively to the gross national product. At the same time, Ecuador is the country with the greatest biodiversity for its surface area. About 18 percent of its land area is given over to conservation areas. In contrast to this, the rate of deforestation stands at around 165,000 hectares a year – equivalent to 1.5 percent. The fragile economic situation of the poorer segments of the population encourages forms of land use which attempt to secure short-term livelihoods, however unsustainably, as well as the illegal exploitation of the protected natural resources. Economically viable alternative systems of resource management are either lacking, or they do not ensure the adequate involvement of the local population. These social groups are often excluded from access to advisory services or to the decision-making processes. Laws and promotional policies in the environmental sector are incomplete or contradictory, or they conflict with local development interests, which makes them difficult to enforce. The consequences are the progressive degradation of natural resources and the steady growth of rural poverty, the increasing loss of biodiversity and the decline in soil productivity.
Mt Chimborazo (6,320 m) is the highest volcano in Ecuador and one of the country's best known sights. © GTZ
(Picture above: Mt Chimborazo (6,320 m) is the highest volcano in Ecuador and one of the country's best known sights. © GTZ)
Despite a number of improvements, for example in access to education, considerable gender inequalities still persist in Ecuador. This can be seen above all in the worse employment opportunities, lower wages for equivalent work and the lack of opportunities for the political participation of women. Political and civil human rights are formally observed in Ecuador, and are not abused systematically or to any great extent. However, there is still a significant need for improvement in the fulfilment of economic, social and cultural human rights.
For some years, in order to overcome these bottlenecks to development, Ecuador has pursued the modernisation and decentralisation of the state. At the heart of the reforms is the transfer of public duties and resources to subordinate local bodies in the provinces, municipalities and local authorities. However the modernisation and decentralisation of the public administration is proceeding slowly; the local administrative bodies still face great difficulties in executing their duties efficiently and transparently. The local governments often lack the necessary organisational, technical and financial resources for the expert and needs-oriented fulfilment of their current and future functions.
Disadvantaged segments of the population are particularly affected by inadequacies in basic service provision, such as drinking water supply, sanitation and the disposal of solid waste. The citizens have just limited scope for the expression of their interests in the public decision-making processes or to exercise social controls. Productive activities are also constrained by the unnecessary expenditure of time and money caused by the centralised structures.
In the environmental sector, the government is pursuing numerous strategies for the sustainable use of natural resources. But these have not yet had as great an effect as was hoped. Although Ecuador has placed a large proportion of its overall land mass under protection, the conservation effect is limited because the areas in question are widely scattered. The protective function is also being steadily eroded by the high level of deforestation. Sustainable management of the forests to maintain biodiversity, productivity and water resources, and to avoid soil erosion, is just in its infancy. |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
