Article Archive for 14 July 2010
Huaorani communities: oil companies, nature and survival
The Amazon is 7 million km2. It contains 20% of the water supply on the planet. Eight countries make up the Amazon: Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Surinam and Venezuela. Although Ecuador contains only 7% of the Amazon, this portion nevertheless represents 51% of it’s the ecuadorian territory. This exquisite ecosystem is intimately linked with the main economic activit of Ecuador: the exploitation of oil. According to the records of the Ministry of Environment, there are 33 ecological reserves in Ecuador. Each faces different types of exploitation and risk factors, such as hunting, fishing, fires and pollution. Within these potentially harmful scenarios, the indigenous communities try to survive.
