CAF will support a Comprehensive Environmental Intervention Plan for the gorges of Quito's Metropolitan District

CAF, Development Bank of Latin America, and the Environmental Secretariat of Quito's Metropolitan District (DMQ, for its acronym in Spanish) signed a technical cooperation agreement with the objective of putting the environmental management of the Comprehensive Plan for the Gorge System of the DMQ into practice. This plan establishes the care, rehabilitation, and maintenance of the gorges as a priority, in order to protect, preserve, and recover its natural functions.  

The agreement subscribed between Bernardo Requena, CAF's Director Representative in Ecuador, and  Verónica Arias, Secretary of the Environment, will allow for interventions in 3 gorges of the DMQ (Pasocucho, Santa Ana and Auqui Chico in the Ruta Viva), improving the quality of life of inhabitants and reducing the risks associated to the deterioration of the gorges.

During the signature ceremony, Bernardo Requena referred to the subject of the advance in Ecuador´s environmental management and to the support that CAF has given to national initiatives, as well as those of local governments and the private sector, which have resulted in technical approvals for environmental projects for more than USD 1.6 million in past years. With respect to the technical cooperation with the Secretary of the Environment, he highlighted the importance of protecting, recovering, and preserving the gorges of Quito due to the diversity of flora and fauna that exists there.

At the same time, Veronica Arias highlighted that the rescue of the Quito gorges is one of the large environmental challenges of the city, and mentioned that there are currently many gorges threatened by the contamination of the soil and water, as they are used as deposits for solid residues. She stated that for the success of this project, it is necessary that citizens cooperate, especially those living in the areas of influence. 

The Metropolitan Environmental Secretariat has a Comprehensive Environmental Intervention Plan for the Gorges of the Quito Metropolitan District, which states the need to address the gorges as comprehensive units that constitute hydrographic basins that are of vital importance for the citizenship; in addition, they are the habitat for a wide and vulnerable variety of flora and fauna.       

Thus, CAF contributes to the comprehensive preservation of the natural components of the gorges, allowing the population of the District to save resources, value the natural environment, and improve the quality of life, among other environmental, social, and cultural benefits.