Business models and finance solutions for conservation, restoration and sustainable use of high Andean wetlands

The objective of the second phase of the module "Protection and Sustainable Management of Ecosystems in the Andes" (Montañas II, 10/2024-09/2027) is to improve the regulatory, technical and financial framework conditions for the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of high Andean wetlands (with special focus on wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar convention). The high Andean wetlands of Ecuador include a variety of ecosystems (e.g. lagoons, ponds, bogs, swamp meadows, shrub vegetation and cloud forest), which are water sources and reservoirs for lower regions. From an altitude of 3300 m above sea level, these ecosystems are collectively referred to as "páramos" covering 1,514,267 ha (about 7% of the country's area). Almost half of them are located in protected areas with 112,212 ha being wetlands of international importance due to the Ramsar Convention. The high Andean wetlands both in and outside of protected areas are subject to ongoing destruction due to the conversion to pasture and agricultural land, accompanied by the drainage of peatlands and the introduction of non-native species. Their degradation is further exacerbated by climate change. At the same time, the southern and central high Andes in Ecuador show high migration rates, especially of young people and men. The women who are left behind have a high workload and prefer dairy farming to labor-intensive agricultural activities. The project can build on the outcomes of the predecessor module (Montañas I): Producer communities in the value chains of dairy and alpaca products, honey, quinoa and tourism were supported. In addition, financing mechanisms for the conservation and restoration of wetlands were piloted (e.g. sales-based levies on cheese and quinoa). A community of practice ("Minga de la Montaña") was created and improves knowledge exchange on páramo conservation and restoration. At the same time, political instruments - the National Páramo Action Plan, as well as guidelines for the restoration of high Andean landscapes - were created in a participatory manner, and the multi-actor approach of the module improved trust between key players and strengthened local governance structures. Restoration measures were implemented, which served for a training module (Escuela de Restauración) piloted with a local university. Despite the promising processes, measures to protect, restore and sustainably use the high Andean wetlands (e.g. capacity building, restoration projects, sustainable business models, coordination spaces) are still limited to isolated initiatives, and key stakeholders lack the capacity for up-scaling. Therefore, the Montañas II module focuses on five outputs: 1. Governance structures are used by state and civil society actors to jointly coordinate policy instruments that promote the conservation of high Andean wetlands in an intercultural and gender-responsive manner; 2. Technical and methodological capacities of technical staff for planning and monitoring of restoration measures have been improved; 3. New management instruments in and around selected Ramsar sites have been tested to maintain and record the effects of restoration measures; 4. Production and nature-positive business models that contribute to the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of high Andean wetlands have been strengthened; 5. New options for resource mobilization for conservation, restoration and sustainable use of high Andean wetlands have been identified. Lead executing agency / implementing partner: Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition (Ministerio de Ambiente, Agua y Transición Ecológica, MAATE). Target groups: Rural population in five provinces of the central and southern Andean highlands, producer organizations and companies. Mediators: Technicians and decision makers of MAATE, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, MAG), decentralised local governments and protected areas.