Plans to develop an oilfield have been stalled by a show of 'people power'. The global community comprising governments, organisations and individuals have raised enough money to persuade the Ecuadorian Government to halt the exploitation of the 722 square miles of Amazonian rainforest known as the Yasuní National Park.

Yasuní, an extraordinarily rich habitat for unusual species of mammals, birds, amphibians, and plants, is also home to at least two hitherto uncontacted Indian peoples so the stoppage is hugely welcome on both ecological and human grounds.

What’s more, the development of the massive Ishpingo-Tiputini-Tambococha (ITT) oilfield would cause an environmental disaster with the ultimate release of some 400m tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to The Guardian newspaper.

So why, in this unique location and with the feel-good factor surrounding the World response as a modern-day David fronting up to the oil giants’ Goliath, do the cheers sound hollow?

Well, firstly because it was the Ecuadorian President, Rafael Correa, back in 2007 who put out the idea of the global community paying $3.5 billion for drilling in the park not to happen. It seemed fairly logical back then; as  Reuters Felix Salmon puts it ‘The world has quite a lot of oil; it has only one Yasuní. And while Ecuador would get some desperately-needed cash from drilling for oil, the world would lose an area of paramount importance.’

So a Trust Fund was set up under the aegis of the United Nations and, by the end of 2011, $116 million had been raised. A respectable sum though perhaps not so impressive once you realise that Italy’s contribution was the deduction of the national debt owed to them by Ecuador, and that Rafael Correa himself contributed funds from a media lawsuit.

Ecuador has seemingly done quite well out of this scheme. It is wonderful for the environment that drilling is not taking place, and the country still has the oilfield as well as its fabulous environmental paradise. Clauses in place also ensure that the money raised is destined for renewable energy projects and the preservation of nature. We hope this precedent of global help will benefit the Ecuadorian people fully.

However, we wonder whether the global community and occasional Hollywood filmstar will be able to appease the President when the next instalment is due? It all seems a bit precarious ...

Photograph: White-banded swallows by ggallice

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