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RCWP and Bahía, Ecuador: 2010The school building when completed in June, 2010 (and local Rotarians):These are photos of the new school being built in January 2010. For events leading up to this construction, see bahia2009.htm For a larger image, click on any one of the pictures and a larger image will open in another window...
The city of Bahía de Caráquez is located in a sandy peninsula in the western coast of Ecuador. In 1998 the whole coast of Ecuador was affected by the El Niño phenomenon. Bahía was the most severely affected by the torrential rains and mud slides, leaving the town isolated and without basic services and food supplies. Shortly after the niño, the town was struck by a 7.2 earthquake. Many buildings fell to the ground and almost all were severely damaged. During the reconstruction, local residents with the support of foreign NGOs aimed their efforts towards more sustainable development. As a result, in 1999 Bahía was declared an ecocity. This was partly justifiable at the time due to the ecoprojects that existed in recycling of paper and organic waste and reforestation. The declaration meant a conscious decision by the Municipality and local residents to support and consolidate this process on a long term basis. It has shown an important development during the last 15 to 20 years, since it has become one of the country's most attractive resort areas due to its beauty and relative closeness to the cities of Quito and Guayaquil, the two biggest cities in the country. It takes some five hours to reach Bahía by car from Quito and four hours from Guayaquil. The population of Bahía is estimated at 30,000 in the urban area and its surroundings. This population substantially increases during the summer, due to the tourists. In fact, August is usually a very busy time.
View of Bahía from Lookout Point
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