Joint work with Environment Ministry to improve environmental quality in Ecuador

(Quito, February 10, 2010).- CAF and the Ministry of the Environment (MAE) signed a non-reimbursable technical cooperation agreement to strengthen the department’s institutional capacity. Present at the signing were CAF director representatives Hermann Krützfeldt and Environment Minister Marcela Aguiñaga.

The non-reimbursable funds, which CAF is granting, will strengthen the institutional capacity of the Ministry and the Sub-Secretariat of Environmental Quality (SCA), specifically in the areas of sustainable mining, climatic change, and environmental health.

The CAF director representative emphasized the importance of the signing of the agreement between the two institutions, which permits the Environment Ministry to continue its efforts to improve environmental quality management, with development based on conservation and appropriate use of the biodiversity and resources which the country possesses.

CAF support for the Ministry and SCA will improve the coordination of environmental management, implemented by all the sectional bodies in the country in areas such as controlling pollution from industrial and domestic sources.

In relation to climate change, the Ministry will strengthen its strategy of increasing awareness among citizens and public and private sectors of the adaptation and mitigation mechanisms which need to be implemented to prepare the country for the imminent impact of global warming; and of expanding the CDM projects and their participation in the carbon market. The Ministry will use the CAF funds to organize an information campaign and promote preventative strategies aimed at improving environmental quality.

CAF is strongly committed to the environment as part of its institutional mission to support sustainable development and regional integration. In the last two years, CAF has invested over US$9 million in Ecuador in non-reimbursable technical cooperation in a range of areas, including production, education, and institutional strengthening. Of this, over $1 million was destined to implementation of environmental initiatives for conservation of biodiversity, risk prevention, and development of the carbon market and clean energy through various programs which CAF promotes.