Adaptive watershed management in the South American highlands: Learning and teaching on the fly

This chapter describes the Chimbo watershed in the Bolivar Province in Ecuador and efforts that are being made to increase agricultural productivity and soil quality in this area. It begins by explaining the landscape along the Guayas River in this Andean region and its relation to the loss of biodiversity and decreasing crop productivity. Because the top of the Chimbo watershed is in the steeply-sloped Andes, agriculture-related pollution and water quality are becoming a huge concern. Low productivity and environmental degradation are causing high rates of poverty in Ecuador and putting a lot of pressure on smallholders to sustain their families and livelihoods.