Abstract This paper explores challenges for river protection in Ecuador, considering rivers as living ecosystems and subjects of rights. The methodology includes a normative analysis to identify the roles of provincial, municipal, and parish governments in regulating industrial discharges, waste management, hazardous waste management, and land use. It also incorporates a case study of the San Pedro River, participant observation with the Rescate del Río San Pedro collective, and a deductive approach to develop an integrated governance proposal. The results show a distribution of competencies that enables subnational governments to act on the main polluting activities. Moreover, citizen initiatives play an important role in river protection. However, isolated policies, regulatory overlaps, and the absence of coordinated and participatory approaches limit effective protection. The research concludes that protecting rivers requires an ecological understanding of these ecosystems. It proposes that intergovernmental coordination and active citizen participation, through an ecocentric and systemic approach, are necessary to achieve integrated river management in Ecuador.
Belen Estefanny Parco Fuentes (Sat,) studied this question.