Pastaza, Ecuador

Ecuador
Governor Guillermo Antonio Kubes Robalin
Representative Gabriel Guerra Chief of Cooperation
Representative Karen Cevallos Technical Cooperation Advisor

Description

The Province of Pastaza is located in the center of the Ecuadorian Amazon Region, between the geographic coordinates 1° 10 south latitude and 78° 10 west longitude; 2° 35 south latitude and 76° 40 west longitude. It limits to the north, with the province of Napo and Orellana, to the south with the province of Morona Santiago, to the east the Republic of Peru, and to the West the Province of Tungurahua.

The political division of the province is of 1 four cantons, Pastaza, Mera, Santa Clara and Arajuno and these in turn have a total of 17 rural parishes, of which five, Sarayacu, Montalvo, Rio Tigre, Rio Corrientes and Curaray are the parishes within the province that occupy 85% of the provincial territory, do not have road connectivity and have the greatest diversity in Ecuador.

The population of the Province of Pastaza is 83,933 inhabitants (INEC 2010) with a projection to 2014 of 94,511 inhabitants. The urban parish of Puyo is the most populated with 36,659 inhabitants, followed by Shell with 8,752 inhabitants and in third place Simón Bolívar with 5,682 inhabitants, among which have seven different ethnic groups such as the Quechuas, Zaparos, Iwias, Andoas, Waoranis, Shuar and Achuar. to more of the mestizo and black groups. The nationality with greater representation is the Amazonian Quechua and the one with the smallest population is the zapara that has a Unesco recognition for its almost extinct language. in the Province of Pastaza it is registered in terms of permanent crops, sugarcane is the one with the highest planted production, which is 6,354, with no data on harvest, production and sale; followed by cocoa with 1,590 cultivated hectares of which 60.88% of the crop was harvested, with a production of 104 tons of which 66 were sold, corresponding to 56.90%; In the third place, the banana crop is planted with 116 hectares sown with 100% of the harvested crop, producing 4,969 tons of which 47.55% was sold.

The extension of the province of Pastaza is of 29.642.77 km2, beginning its territory in the Amazonian mountain range of the Andes until the Amazonian plain its altitudinal range oscillates between the 3.196 msnm located in the extreme west of the province at 152 msnm located in the eastern end of the province. Territorially, Pastaza maintains an Intervened area that obeys the area where the most important cities of the province are located, and the Sosotenible ecological development area, which frames the area of national parks, Yasuni in its 44.51% and Llanganates in its 14%, as also the Ecological Area of Sustainable Provincial Development of Pastaza with an extension of 92% of the province, around 23,714.22 km2.

Summary

Total Land Area 29,642 km²
% of Land That Is Forest 2.2 %
Deforestation Trend +0.0 % 2013 - 2014

Demographics

Population of State/Province 83,933
% of National Population 0.5%

Urban vs. Rural Population

Category %
Rural 56.00
Urban 44.00

Ethnic Groups

Group %
Kichwas 21.23
Shuar 6.37
Achuar 3.06
Andoas 2.93
Huaoranis 1.41
Shiwiar 0.97
Zapara 0.54

Economy

State/Province GDP USD 628.59 M
Annual Per Capita Income USD 2,249

GDP Breakdown

Category %
Exploitation of mines and quarries 68.50
Others 8.30
Public administration 7.50
Building 3.90
Teaching 3.80
Transportation, information and communications 3.20
Accommodation and meals activities 2.50
Commerce 2.30
Human Development Index 0.748
Main Exports Sugar cane, Cocoa, Pitahaya, Naranjilla, Yuca, Chinese potato, aji, Chontaduro

Forest Status

Current Forest Area 640 km²
Total Area Deforested -640 km²
Total Forest Carbon 1 M MtC

Major Vegetation Types

Category km²
Forest 26,695
Wetlands 1,310
Agriculture 999
Shrubby Vegetation 478
Other 152
Urban Zones 7

Forest Management

Category km²
Protected areas 25,000
Other 4,642

Drivers of Deforestation

In the province there is a significant environmental impact in the intervened area, since most of the population of the province is concentrated, this means that the human activities carried out in this area are mainly affecting water resources. The main rivers where the highest population concentration is located are Rio Pindo Grande, Rio Motolo, Rio Salome, Rio Pindo Chico, Rio Puyo, Estero Citayacu, and Estero La Talanga.  Degradation occurs primarily in the western portion of the province. 

Principal drivers of deforestation include:

Mining.

The largest mining in the province of Pastaza is related to the extraction of stone material that is extracted mainly from the banks of the Pastaza, Bobonaza, Anzu, Arajuno rivers, among others, for this reason there are mines in the four cantons of the province, the material of these mines are used for road maintenance, expansion of the provincial road network; and other constructive activities. The extraction of the stone material begins with the removal of the same in the river beds, which is transported by dump trucks to storage centers for subsequent shipment to the different construction sites.

Petroleum.

The oil industry is the most representative economic activity for Ecuador and in the last three decades, oil income has been the first source of national income. Pastaza is one of the provinces from where oil is extracted, there are 22 oil blocks that are in the province.

Deforestation Rates

Notes

a.

Due to different methodological approaches and base years, Forest Status data fields may differ slightly. Data sources for each field are listed below.

Sources

1.

CONALI 2014
2.

INEC 2014
3.

http://www.pastaza.gob.ec/pdf/consejo_planificacion/COMPONENTE%20SOCIO%20CULTURAL.pdf
4.

http://app.sni.gob.ec/sni-link/sni/Portal%20SNI%202014/FICHAS%20F/16_PASTAZA.pdf
5.

http://www.pastaza.gob.ec/pdf/consejo_planificacion/COMPONENTE%20ECONOMICO.pdf
6.

PNUD 2010
7.

http://www.pastaza.gob.ec/pdf/consejo_planificacion/COMPONENTE%20BIOFISICO.pdf