List of rivers of Ecuador

The rivers of Ecuador are an important part of the nation's geography and economy. Most of the over 2,000 rivers and streamsTerry] have headwaters in the Andes mountain range, flowing therefrom either westward toward the Pacific Ocean or eastward toward the Amazon River.Hanratty] Narrow in the highlands, the majority of the rivers broaden as they reach the lower elevations of the Coast and Oriente. During the rainy season, which lasts from January to April, the rivers that drain into the Pacific flood and often cause damage.

Geography

The two main water systems are the Esmeraldas River in the North and the Guayas South.Gerlach]

The Esmeraldas begins as the Guayllabamba in the Sierra, flowing west before emptying in the Pacific near the city of Esmeraldas.

The Guayas forms to the north of Guayaquil, where the Daule and the Babahoyo Rivers converge. The Guayas basin covers 40,000 square kilometers.

The most important rivers in the Oriente are the Pastaza, Napo, and Putumayo. The Pastaza includes the Agoyan waterfall, Ecuador's highest.

Economy

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the indigenous people of Ecuador used the rivers for fishing and transportation, although frequent waterfalls limited canoe travel in the Andes.

Rivers are an important source of power in Ecuador, hydroelectric dams having a capacity 1,750 megawatts in 2006. However, these projects have tended to be "substantially oversized" without "delivering the promised energy benefits." In 2008, President Rafael Correa announced that the government planned to build eleven new hydroelectric power plants.Xinhua] Almost all of the dam projects face opposition from local communities who fear negative environmental impacts land lack of transparency in decision-making.

Recreational rafting has become an important part of Ecuador's tourism-based economy.

Rivers

* Aguarico River
* Amazon River
* Babahoyo River
* Chambo River
* Coca River
* Comaina River
* Curaray River
* Daule River
* Esmeraldas River
* Guayas River
* Guayllabamba River
* Machangara River
* Morona
* Napo River
* Pastaza River
* Putumayo River
* Tarqui River
* Tiputini River
* Tomebamba River
* Tumbes River
* Yanuncay River
* Zamora River
* Zarumilla River

Citations

References

*cite book
last = Gerlach
first = Allen
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Indians, Oil, and Politics: A Recent History of Ecuador
publisher = Rowman & Littlefield
date = 2002
location =
pages =
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = 0842051082
*cite book
last = Hanratty
first = Dennis M.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Ecuador: A Country Study
publisher = GPO for the Library of Congress
date = 1989
location = Washington, D.C.
pages =
url = http://countrystudies.us/ecuador/19.htm
doi =
id =
isbn =
*cite web
last = Terry
first = Matt
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Ecuador's Water Crisis: Damming the Water Capital of the World
work =
publisher = International Rivers
date = 2007-12-15
url = http://www.internationalrivers.org/en/latin-america/ecuadors-water-crisis-damming-water-capital-world
format = HTML
doi =
accessdate = 2008-07-27
*cite news
last =
first =
coauthors =
title = Ecuador to Build 11 New Hydroelectric Dams
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Xinhua News Agency
date = 2008-05-22
url = http://english.cri.cn/2947/2008/05/22/[e-mail]
accessdate = 2008-07-27