[2] During the rainy season, which lasts from January to April, the rivers that drain into the Pacific flood and often cause damage.
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the indigenous people of Ecuador used the rivers for fishing and transportation, although frequent waterfalls limited canoe travel in the Andes.
The rivers long continued to be an important means of transportation, especially as the mountains made road and railroad building difficult.
"[1] In 2008, President Rafael Correa announced that the government planned to build eleven new hydroelectric power plants.
[4] Almost all of the dam projects face opposition from local communities that fear negative environmental impacts on the land and a lack of transparency in decision-making.