Big portions of forests and natural lands have been burned to clear space to grow crops and create farmland. Once this land's nutrients are depleted and it is no longer able to be used, another area is burned down to create new farmland. This cycle keeps repeating as people try to grow enough crops to feed the quickly growing Ecuadorian and tourist populations.
In 2008, Ecuador rewrote its constitution. In this new version, the country recognized the Rights of Nature and the duty of people to respect and protect "Pacha Mama," or Mother Earth. The government and local communities have begun promoting eco-tourism so that visitors are not harming the country but instead helping it. The Ministry of the Environment and other organizations are now in charge of creating environmental policies and solutions to the current issues that Ecuadorians are facing. Ecuador as a whole has come together with the goal of maintaining and improving the environmental health of this beautiful country.
