Yasuni National Park

Yasuni National Park: Cultural Aspects that May Impact Biodiversity and Sustainability The biodiversity record of Yasuni National Park is amazing – with the park being “the most biologically diverse hotspot in the Western Hemisphere” (Andrianos, Sneep, and Kerber, 2014, p. 32). It is important to note that in addition to having a healthy vertebrae assembly, Yasuni National Park also covers a relatively huge wilderness area and is home to a wide range of species (Andrianos, Sneep, and Kerber, 2014, p. 32).

In addition to the Waorani communities, who have largely been seen as having been the ancestral guardians of Yasuni National Park, other indigenous groups who continue to live within the Yasuni National Park territory (in voluntary isolation) include the Taromenanes and the Tagaeris (Waller, 2016). The relationship of these indigenous populations with the environment has historically been harmonious. All along, they have mostly made use of natural resources for their own convenience, i.e. as a source of clothing, shelter, as well as food and medicine.

Thanks to modern-day encroachment, the role the indigenous groups have been playing as far as conservation is concerned has been on the decline. Today, timber harvesting as well as illegal hunting threaten sustainability efforts (McFarland, 2017). It is important to note that despite the fact that hunting has been an important ancestral and cultural activity of the Waorani for a long time, various species remain in plenty. It is illegal hunting that is a problem, and has as a matter of fact caused huge extraction of (for instance) the white-lipped peccary.

However, oil extraction remains the deadliest threat to Yasuni National Park’s sustainability. A significant portion of Yasuni National Park has in the past been leased to oil exploration entities – both national and international. The economy of Ecuador, a developing country, is heavily dependent on oil export (Carrapatoso and Kurzinger, 2013). This effectively means that sustainability efforts are likely to be affected significantly, especially given the contaminating nature of oil exploration.

In effect, in addition to contaminating rivers, oil residues are likely to infiltrate soils leading to the destruction of both flora and fauna. The opening up of roads as well.