New 178,000-Acre Water Protection Area Strengthens the Andes–Amazon Conservation Corridor
12/09/2025
In the municipality of Gualaquiza, Morona Santiago province, the Runahurco protected area has been established, a key territory for the conservation of Andean-Amazonian ecosystems and local and national water security.
Runahurco is a vital reservoir, harboring outstanding biodiversity and crucial water resources. Cuyes and Cuchipamba rivers originate in this area, converging to form the Bomboiza River. The waters of the Bomboiza will serve as the foundation for four future hydroelectric projects, generating clean energy and significantly bolstering the country’s energy security.
Spanning 178,065.7 acres, the area covers the following communities: Gualaquiza (urban), Nueva Tarqui, Chigüinda, San Miguel de Cuyes, Amazonas, Bermejos, and Bomboiza. Due to its size and ecological relevance, the Runahurco Water Protection Area is consolidated as the second-largest water protection area in Ecuador, only preceded by the Aguarico Chingual Cofanes Water Protection Area.
Communities Connected to the Runahurco Water Protection Area
The name Runahurco, which means “Mountain of the Runa” in Kichwa, evokes the ancestral relationship between humankind and nature. It represents the Runa, the being who walks, works, and lives in balance with nature and water.
“I felt immense joy when they announced that the new area was finally approved. We were afraid because of the ecological threats, but now we know that our water sources will be protected. Runahurco is a spectacular place, with so much fauna and flora that it is worth conserving every last bit.”, comments Giomayra Lalvay Jarro, from the La Florida community, Nueva Tarqui.
The creation of the Runahurco Water Protectio Area began with local comunity initiative. They motivated the Municipal Government of Gualaquiza to start the processes to guarantee the protection of water sources. With key support from the Sole Water Authority, technical guidance from Nature and Culture, and funding from Re:wild, the Andes Amazon Fund, and the Stockel Family Foundation, the Water Protection Area was created. This designation serves as an effective tool to link conservation efforts with better local water source management.
The community is the heart of the Runahurco. Their participation was decisive in driving the establishment process and guaranteeing the legal protection of the ecosystems.
“To speak of Runahurco is to speak of water, and to speak of water is to speak of the continuity of life,” highlights Patricio Guzmán, technical expert for Zone 10 of the Ministry of the Environment and Water.
Runahurco protects the water sources that supply more than 14,200 people in the municipality of Gualaquiza.
“This has long been a share priority for of all Gualaquiza residents. […] Our greatest concern has always been how to protect our water. With the Runahurco Water Protection Area, we can ensure a better quality of life for our eight communities and contribute to the entire Amazon region, since the sources that feed major rivers and the national hydroelectric system originate here,”, said Francis Pavón, Mayor of Gualaquiza.
The recognition of Runahurco has renewed the communities’ sense of belonging and their commitment protecting water sources and forests. In this area, more than 90% of its 177,910 acres remain almost intact—a mosaic of páramos (high-altitude grasslands), cloud forests, and rivers that maintain the ecological balance of the entire region.
“Water protection areas safeguard the sources that sustain water, agriculture, and food security in the country. As an organization, we have provided technical and financial support to 24 of the 37 existing Water Protection Areas in Ecuador”, highlights José Romero, coordinator of the Water Source Conservation program at Nature and Culture.
Ecological Framework and Conservation Challenges
The ecosystems of the Runahurco are home to emblematic species such as the Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus), the lowland South American tapir (Tapirus terrestris), and the Black-and-chestnut Eagle (Spizaetus isidori), which is considered critically endangered in Ecuador, where the population is estimated at just 200 individuals.
“The Runahurco is today one of the most important refuges for the Black-and-chestnut Eagle in southern Ecuador—the jaguar of the skies. Its presence confirms the ecological quality of the area and its key role as a biological corridor between the Andes and the Amazon,” notes Nicolás Astudillo of the Fundación Cóndor Andino.
“The Runahurco water protection area is today one of the most important refuges for the Black-and-chestnut Eagle in southern Ecuador—the jaguar of the skies. Its presence confirms the ecological quality of the area and its key role as a biological corridor between the Andes and the Amazon”, notes Nicolás Astudillo of the Fundación Cóndor Andino.
Furthermore, the Runahurco APH is configured as a core area within the Corredor de Conectividad Sangay–Podocarpus, which is fundamental for maintaining ecological processes such as genetic flow and the mobility of species between the Andes and the Amazon.
Importance of Water Protection Areas
Water Protection Areas (APHs), established by the Sole Water Authority in compliance with Article 12 of the Water Resources, Uses, and Exploitation Law, grant legal protection to water sources declared of public and collective interest. This designation guarantees their conservation against activities that may compromise their ecological integrity or their function as providers of the vital resource for communities.
Gualaquiza has decided to ensure the continuity of the hydrological processes that sustain the ecosystems and the communities. The Runahurco APH represents a permanent commitment from the relevant authorities to guarantee water of sufficient quantity and quality, securing the present and future well-being of the entire population.
