Abstract
The university study carried out presents an important evaluation of the protection of the environment; the fundamental objective of the work is to carry out an analysis of the aspects that affect the inadequate protection of the environment in Ecuador, specifically in the municipality of Quevedo, based on the implementation of the environmental legislation in force, given the social problems that are required in this area due to the lack of compliance with the legal norms established in this respect. The research is developed in the descriptive field with a qualitative approach. Research methods used are the theoretical level such as: analysis-synthesis, induction-deduction and the logical-historical level, and from the empirical level, observation and document revision, and the questionnaire were taken into account. The results show that environmental deterioration is a cause of the degradation of human welfare in underdeveloped countries such as Ecuador, and that it is linked to poverty as both a cause and an effect. The results also show that the legal principles on environmental matters regulated by the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador and the legal norms are not being complied with due to the irresponsibility of the institutions in charge of their application.