Posted 17 Aug 2011

Travellers hoping to explore Yasuni National Park during a gap year in Ecuador may find themselves unable to do so should the world fail to raise $60 million (£36.69 million) by the end of 2011.

Some five years ago, a huge oil field was discovered under the park – but harvesting the find could cause this biodiverse area to be severely damaged.

The Ecuadorian government offered a deal that stated if $100 million was raised, both the oil and the park would be left untouched.

However, just $40 million has been accumulated to date, which means that unless the remainder of the money is generated, Yasuni National Park may be destroyed.

Should the extraction go ahead, it "would lead to contamination, deforestation, extinction of cultures and destruction of social structures. It would need a vast infrastructure including roads, river ports, tracks, airstrips", claims the country's oil minister Alberto Acosta.

Earlier this year, the nation's government launched a £10 million tourism campaign in the UK in order to encourage people to visit the country.  

Category: South America