Páramo, or water factories: a botanical phenomenon in the Andes

The páramo grassland formations typical of the Andes are an incredibly rich source of clean drinking water. A key component of these ecosystems are espeletias (frailejones) – endemic plants capable of extracting water from moisture in the air. However, their condition has significantly deteriorated in recent decades. Ecologists are working to reverse this trend, but their efforts are hampered by wildfires and… human activity. Will it be possible to increase the frailejones population?

The role of frailejones in water collection

Referring to páramos as water factories is fully justified. Thanks to the presence of plant species resistant to extreme high and low temperatures, such as frailejones, these ecosystems can effectively store water. The fog frequently present in the Andean region condenses on the plants’ leaves and, due to their characteristic indentations, can flow down into the sponge-like, absorbent soil.

Other typical páramo species, such as paperbark trees (Melaleuca quinquenervia), perform a similar function. Local climatic conditions also support water retention – very cold nights significantly reduce evaporation.

Páramo – a unique water reservoir. Can its functions be restored?

The importance of páramos for the ecosystem is well illustrated by an example from Colombia. These mountainous, grassy shrublands cover only 2% of the territory but supply 70% of the country’s drinking water.

Andean páramos are unique not only because of the presence of frailejones. Their distinctiveness also lies in their biodiversity – these areas are home to as many as 70 species of mammals, including Andean bears, ocelots, and mountain tapirs.

Indigenous peoples of South America have long valued páramos. They consider these places sacred, partly because of the many plants used in traditional medicine. However, the special role of páramos has not been enough to protect them from degradation. The situation is alarming: scientists predict that half of all páramo will disappear by 2050, leading to the extinction of between 10% and 47% of the species that live there.

In response to this threat, the Water Protection Fund (FONAG) was established in Quito in 2000. Its actions have already helped protect 55,000 hectares of páramo, and this is just the beginning – the goal is to safeguard 150,000 hectares within the next few decades.

Since the founding of FONAG, our priority has been to protect water resources. When you protect those resources, you almost automatically gain benefits for biodiversity, CO₂ sequestration, and community well-being, said Bert de Bievre, FONAG’s technical secretary.

The organization also focuses on educational initiatives: it holds classes in schools and organizes field trips for students. It is also committed to ensuring equitable water distribution from the páramo to as many people as possible – not only in Quito (the capital of Ecuador) but also in the surrounding Andean areas. To that end, FONAG has built a network of pipelines and treatment plants.

Fires, cattle grazing, potato cultivation, and other threats to frailejones

Community education is greatly needed. Páramo areas are often ravaged by fires – some caused by natural factors, others by people. Grasslands are burned to clear land for cattle grazing and potato farming. A major incident occurred in 2024, when fire destroyed large areas covered with frailejones.

FONAG and local residents are working to combat this. They are establishing nurseries to grow frailejones. Some people are doing this on their own, using private farmland. They also try to convince other landowners to follow suit, but the response isn’t always positive. As Miguel Montenegro, director of environmental management in Carchi province, puts it, We don’t know how many people will be willing to give up their farms to save frailejones.

This is only one of the challenges. Others relate to the fact that growing frailejones in nurseries is often inefficient, and the lack of established best practices means learning must come through trial and error. Still, ecologists aren’t giving up. We try to plant a seed in everyone who visits us, said Giuseppe Endara, an employee at one of the nurseries.