San José de Dahuano Municipal Conservation Area Established in Orellana, Ecuador Strengthens Connectivity With a National Park

The San José de Dahuano Municipal Conservation Area conserves 64,547 acres (26,121 hectares) of tropical rainforest and Andean foothill ecosystems in Orellana, Ecuador, consolidating a vital biological corridor in the buffer zone of the adjacent Sumaco Napo Galeras National Park. Established on December 17, 2025, the new area is habitat for endangered species in the Andes-Amazon interface and is near the Pueblo Kichwa Rukullacta Provincial Conservation Area and the San José de Payamino Municipal Conservation Area, previously established with Andes Amazon Fund support.

Among the fauna safeguarded are the Amazonian tapir (Tapirus terrestris), the common woolly monkey (Lagothrix lagothricha), and emblematic reptiles such as the yellow-spotted river turtle (Podocnemis unifilis). Additionally, the area has a documented presence of critically endangered amphibians, such as the flat-spined harlequin frog (Atelopus planispina) and the guacamayo toad (Osornophryne guacamayo). The area covers streams that feed the Suno River, guaranteeing the provision of clean water and supporting food sovereignty for local Kichwa Indigenous communities.

Under the area’s conservation model, more than 40 local and Indigenous communities—who depend directly on the health of local forests and water sources—take a leading role in managing the territory.  

Acknowledgments: 

The establishment of this conservation area was made possible thanks to the local Government of Loreto and local communities. Technical support was provided by Corporación BYOS in partnership with Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano (FFLA) with financial support from Andes Amazon Fund (AAF).