Community tourism (CT) constitutes a management model for tourism practice within communities, which was consolidated within Ecuador through the Plurinational Federation of Community Tourism of Ecuador (FEPTCE), with the Corporation for the Development of Community Tourism of Chimborazo (CORDTUCH) as the central network in the province of Chimborazo. This network, with 14 years of experience, has been committed to tourism as a mechanism for the diversification of the productive matrix of the peasant and indigenous communities that comprise it, integrating 1772 direct beneficiaries articulated in 10 CT organizations. Thus, they have managed to support actions related to land management, the equitable distribution of benefits, the valuation of natural and cultural heritage, and the organizational strengthening of communities. This support has contributed to the consolidation of “Alli Kawsay,” that is, working to achieve a full life for these human groups, generating an integral sustainability of their spaces, and contributing to the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from this other Andean perspective. The methodology employed focused on participatory action research (PAR), which allows for listening and obtaining information directly from key actors, recognizing the existence of knowledge that has not been published that corresponds to peoples’ ancestral knowledge. The aim of this research is to provide an overview of the current reality of CT within CORDTUCH, as well as the strengthening achieved in the community enterprises that comprise it. Among the main results achieved, it is highlighted that CT has become, for these communities, a tool of insurgency against extractive activities and the advance of the agricultural frontier that threatens these spaces, showing that the territories can be exploited under other approaches and through innovative proposals.

The Urban Green Space Index (UGSI) is an indicator that measures the quantity, quality, accessibility, and distribution of green spaces in urban environments. This study focused on analyzing the UGSI in Ecuadorian cities through a multiple linear regression model, analyzing the UGSI from both territorial and public management perspectives. Ecuador was selected as a case study due to the limited availability of research on urban green spaces in the country, despite its high ecological diversity and increasing urbanization. The model was used to explore relationships among various factors influencing urban green spaces. Government variables and key factors, such as budget allocations, were analyzed. The model revealed an inverse relationship between urban population size and per capita green space availability. In cities with 50,000 inhabitants, the average is 60 m² per person, which decreases significantly to just 5 m² per person in cities with 300,000 residents. This trend highlights the pressure of urbanization on green spaces and emphasizes the need for evidence-based urban planning to ensure equitable access and to improve quality of life. However, challenges such as the lack of updated data and opportunities for improvement in territorial planning were also identified.

Introduction: The concept of sustainable management has gained prominence in the industrial sector as response to the environmental and social challenges of the 21st century. From a theoretical perspective, sustainable practices are proposed to integrate economic, environmental, and social strategies that enable companies to enhance their overall performance and reputation. The study identified the sustainability practices implemented in productive sectors, analyzing the perceptions, strategies, and outcomes observed by local business owners.Methods: A survey was conducted among 150 companies from the productive sector in Riobamba, equitably selected from the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors. The instrument included closed-ended questions related to the level of knowledge, implemented practices, perceived benefits and challenges, suggested strategies, and willingness to invest in sustainability. The data collected were analyzed using frequencies and percentages to identify trends.Results: Seventy-five percent of the companies expressed a willingness to invest in sustainable practices, with waste management (28%) and efficient water use (17%) being the most common practices. Fifty-seven percent evaluated the impact of these strategies positively, while 29% indicated a need for financial support to enhance their sustainability. Regulatory barriers and a lack of training and sustainable culture were cited as significant obstacles.Conclusions: The productive sector shows significant progress in the implementation of sustainable practices, though challenges such as financing, training, regulation, and technical and economic support remain. It is suggested to adopt sustainable strategies that optimize the environmental, economic, and social impact of the sector.

High-mountain protected areas are increasingly exposed to climate change, governance fragmentation, and limited integration of cultural dimensions into conservation strategies. In this context, this study examines the Chimborazo Fauna Production Reserve (Ecuador) as a high-Andean biocultural landscape, integrating ecological, geological, climatic, and cultural evidence within a common interpretive framework based on the concepts of integrity and authenticity. Using an interdisciplinary synthesis of secondary sources, the analysis explores six analytical dimensions encompassing geodiversity, ecosystems, biodiversity, climate dynamics, archaeological evidence, and cultural practices. The results suggest that the Chimborazo system maintains a notable degree of structural and functional coherence across its ecological and geomorphological components, while also experiencing increasing pressures associated with climate change, particularly glacier retreat and hydrological variability. At the same time, the persistence of archaeological records, Andean epistemologies, ritual practices, and biocultural traditions supports the interpretation of a landscape characterized by continuity of cultural meaning and long-term human–environment interaction. Rather than proposing a definitive or directly transferable model, this study offers a conceptual perspective that highlights the interdependence between ecological processes and cultural values in high-mountain environments. Interpreting Chimborazo as a biocultural landscape offers a useful approach for exploring sustainability-oriented governance and adaptive management in Andean protected areas. The findings may inform ongoing discussions on the integration of biodiversity conservation, cultural continuity, and climate adaptation, while further empirical validation is required to assess the broader applicability of this approach in other mountain contexts.

El problema que enfrenta la ciudad de Riobamba es la escasa información y un débil sistema de indicadores referente a políticas públicas turísticas y patrimoniales, por ello se propone identificar una serie de variables que contribuyan a generar sostenibilidad socio-económica en la ciudad. El trabajo propuesto se realizó a través del análisis de variables específicas como la concepción de política turística, cultural, patrimonial; la situación del turismo y el patrimonio en la ciudad; las relaciones y afectaciones entre los actores sociales, proyección y perspectivas de las políticas turísticas y patrimoniales existentes; fomentando el análisis, la opinión y la participación de diferentes involucrados los cuales se constituyen en actores sociales, escenarios turísticos, posibles metas y prioridades con las necesidades reales del desarrollo del turismo en Riobamba. Amparados en estas premisas, la Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo y el Gobierno autónomo descentralizado de Riobamba desarrollan un proyecto de medición de indicadores que inciden en la gestión turística de Riobamba, con la participación conjunta de estudiantes, docentes, investigadores y técnicos en la ardua tarea de levantar una línea base de información sobre diferentes ámbitos de la sostenibilidad para descubrir los factores que intervienen en la sostenibilidad urbana del turismo a través de una análisis estadístico descriptico y poder analizar esta dinámica propiciando una serie de recomendaciones para las instituciones involucradas.