Help keep the Topo River wild and free-flowing!

Date: 
Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Topo River, in the Ecuadorian Amazon, is an exceptional free-flowing river that forms part of an ecological corridor recognized for its outstanding biodiversity by the WWF as a

Topo River
Topo River
Dan Dixon
"Gift to the Earth." The river is an important destination for whitewater kayaking and provides critical habitat for torrent ducks, river otters, and many threatened endemic plant species.

The Ecuadorian government wants to dam the Topo River to generate electricity. The dam will cause permanent impacts to the integrity of the Topo watershed with the construction of new access roads to the river, a new transmission line corridor and changes in natural flows for a significant section of the river.

Write to Ecuadorian President Correa today to ask him to keep the Topo flowing freely!

Ecuador has signed international agreements which guarantee the protection of sensitive ecosystems and areas with high levels of biodiversity. It has also committed to protect endemic species which are listed as rare, threatened and/or endangered.

Despite the pronounced opposition to the Topo Hydroelectric Project by local communities and the Municipal Government of the city of Baños de Agua Santa, the Topo Hydroelectric Project continues to be supported by government authorities.

Ecuador has no shortage of alternative renewable energy projects and resources that could be developed, including demand-side management, which are more strategic and offer greater benefits than the Topo Hydroelectric Project.

The Ecuadorian government will be deciding whether to approve the dam on the Topo River in the coming days.  

Please write to the Ecuadorian President and let him know that the Topo River should be kept free-flowing for the enjoyment of future generations.