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The Amazon River Basin-Home to one out of every ten living species found on the planet.-Amazon River Basin covers 2.6 million square miles.

The Amazon River Basin

The Amazon Rainforest

The Ecuadorian Amazon River BasinEl Oriente

-Ecuadorian Amazon only covers a minor percentage of the entire river system

-Ecuadorian Amazon refered to as El Oriente.

-Home to 50% of Ecuadors mammalian species

Geographic Focus of Research

-Primary Area of Research El Oriente of Ecuador

-Supplementary Area of Research-El Loreto of Peru

An Oily History

-Oil exploration within the Oriente begins in 1800s.

-Continues today with over 300 active producing oil wells within the Oriente.

Indigenous People of the Oriente -Home to eight

separate indigenous groups.

-Waorani Hunter in Yasuní National Park Within the Oriente

Current Environmental EffectsThe Yasuní National Park

-Acclaimed as most Biologically Diverse region of the planet

-Yasuní National Park depicted in dark green-Huaorani territory depicted in light green

Current Environmental Effects

• -Oil spill within the Yasuní forest

• -Over 30 billion gallons of toxic waste released into Amazon River Basin since 1993

Map of the regions surroundingThe Yasuní National park

Effect on Biodiversity

-Statistics provided by the USAID 2010 report on biodiversity in Ecuador

-Over 5,000 endemic plant species in Ecuador

Environmental Effects Continued

-Palmer Drought Severity Index from 1990 to 2002

Direr Wetter

Increases in Occurrence of Cancer

-Studies conducted by Anna-Karin Hurtig (DRPH) and Miguel San Sebastián (PHD) in 2001.

-Increases in cancer in older Individuals near oil production areas

Increases in Relative Risk of Childhood Leukemia

-Study conducted by by Anna-Karin Hurtig (DRPH) and Miguel San Sebastián (PHD)

Further Medical Data

Research conducted by M. San Sebastián, B. Armstrong, J. A. Córdoba (PHD), C. Stephens (2001)

Research Conducted by M. San Sebastián, B. Armstrong, PHD, C. Stephens, PHD (2002)

The Other Side of the StoryEconomic Benefits of Oil

Gareno- Village found within the Huaorani territory

-Map of Oil Blocks Currently Leased within the Ecuadorian Amazon (2010)

As of Today-Priority conservation

actions created by the USAID (2011)

-Oil extraction continues, with new oil blocks being sold and prospected every year within the Ecuadorian Amazon.Oil facilities and pipelines along the

Coca-Tiguino Road, Yasuní, Ecuador (2011)