The Amazon headwaters are under siege: 19 dams have been slated for the Napo watershed, which forms one of the last free-flowing river corridors of the Amazon Basin, according to a report on Mongabay.com
The Napo River watershed is immense, fed by snow from the glaciated volcanic peaks of the Andes Mountains, and by rainwater falling on steamy lowland Ecuadorian rainforests.
This vast stretch of Amazonia supports diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, with significant unstudied flora and fauna. Every recent research trip identifies new, previously undiscovered species! The Napo River is also habitat for the pink river dolphin, which are already rapidly disappearing.
At present, the Napo River and most of its tributaries are free-flowing, with just two small 10 megawatt (MW) dams located on minor streams.
That is all about to change - and the future of one of the last major free-flowing tributaries of the Amazon is at stake.
The Napo watershed is too important to be put at risk. Will you join me in urging Rafael Correa, President of Ecuador to stop the 19 dams from going ahead?
Please sign and share the petition.
The Napo watershed is critical for the health of the Amazon basin. Please keep the Napo wild and free-flowing, and reject or significantly alter the current plans for 19 dams on the Napo River. More must be done to maintain the ecological health of the Napo and the Amazon basin, and protect the recreation, tourism and historical uses which rely on current river flows.
