New Gallo Rumi Imbabura Municipal Conservation Area Protects Páramo Grasslands and Reinforces Caranqui Identity in Ecuador

The Gallo Rumi Imbabura Municipal Conservation Area, established on December 15, 2025, conserves 14,122 acres (5,715 hectares) of high-mountain ecosystems in San Miguel de Ibarra, Ecuador. The conservation area encompasses critical water recharge zones within the Mira River sub-basin that supply potable water for thousands of families in the villages of Caranqui and La Esperanza.

Its montane forests and high-altitude páramo grasslands act as a natural sponge which soaks up rain and releases it back into the ecosystem in a controlled manner. This area provides a critical habitat for several iconic and threatened species, including the vulnerable Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) and the Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus).

The area is adjacent to the recently established Ñukanchi Urkuta Kamamakkuna Provincial Conservation Area, which itself is adjacent to the Cayambe Coca National Park, reinforcing ecological connectivity in this critically important landscape. 

The conservation of this area also reinforces the cultural identity of local Caranqui Indigenous communities in Caranqui and La Esperanza. Their traditional way of life is deeply connected to these mountains, which recently gained international recognition when the United Nations World Tourism Organization designated the village of Angochagua as among the “Best Tourism Villages“.

Acknowledgments: 

The establishment of this area was made possible thanks to the dedication of the Municipal Government of Ibarra. Technical support and implementation was provided by Corporación BYOS in partnership with Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano (FFLA) with financial contributions from Andes Amazon Fund (AAF).