Climate vulnerability in the Peruvian Andes, yet another factor slowing down development
Basing itself on the premise that climate change and disaster prevention measures go hand in hand, the SDC’s cooperation office in Lima worked with local and national partners to develop a draft programme for the regions of Apurimac and Cuzco.

Climate change is yet another factor slowing down the development process. Major shifts in weather conditions have severe consequences for health, infrastructures, food security and ecosystems.

Climate change has had particularly devastating effects on the quality and quantity of water resources in Peru’s High Andean Plateau. Eventually, even power generation capacity will be affected by reduced volumes of water caused by glacial melt. The same scenario can be seen for other natural resources such as crops, which provide a source of nutrition for rural populations: more frequent and intensified extreme weather conditions threaten to compromise past development funding and achievements.

In the Peruvian Andes, the regions of Cuzco and Apurimac are exposed to extreme climate conditions: frost, hail, heavy snowfall, cold waves and drought, all causing considerable damage and destroying crops that serve as a vital food source for already undernourished populations. In February 2007, for example, a particularly intense frost spell damaged crops so severely that the government had to set up an emergency response programme to ensure that the rural populations affected would not starve to death.

The Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCAP): local and global action
Faced with this alarming situation, Peru’s CCAP seeks to reduce climate vulnerability for the local populations of Cuzco and Apurimac. Focussing on water resources, disaster prevention and food security, the PACC combines local and scientific knowledge in a resolutely transdisciplinary fashion in order to identify the most suitable adjustment measures. A few examples include increasing the number of water reserves, introducing crop varieties that are capable of enduring extreme weather conditions, integrating specific disaster prevention measures in regional planning.

The Programme also ensures that local communities are involved in the decision-making process. This participative approach is based on the principles of good governance, equity and the use of local languages. Promoting greater integration of climate adjustment measures at the local, regional and national levels, the PACC strives to establish synergies with other programmes and projects and devise sustainable funding mechanisms.

The next challenge for the PACC will be to scale its work up to the global level. The PACC is able to better assess climate vulnerability thanks to precise scientific and social data and a wide range of universal methods for analysis that can be applied to other projects. The idea is to enrich political dialogue and foster the exchange of experiences at the international level.

The project in brief

Divisions
Bilateral development cooperation

Country / Region
Peru – regions of Cuzco and Apurimac

Partners
Implementing organisation: Consortium comprised of Intercooperation and two Peruvian organisations, Libelula and PREDES. Government agency in Peru: National Environmental Council (CONAM)

Project aims
The poorest Andean populations, especially those living in rural areas, suffer most from the effects of climate change because they are heavily dependant on natural resources, which makes them particularly vulnerable whenever natural disasters strike. Based on this observation, the SDC's primary goal will be to reduce the degree of vulnerability of these population groups by targeting three key areas in its 7.5-year intervention programme: water resources, disaster prevention and food security

Target group
Very poor local Andean populations, living mainly in rural areas, inherently dependent on natural resources and therefore exposed to the impacts of climate change

Duration
Programme implementation begins 2008 and to continue for 7.5 years

Budget
Total of CHF 12 million, spread out over a 7.5 - year period

Contact
SDC Headquarters
Global Programme Climate Change

SDC Peru
Swiss Cooperation Office Lima
Janine Kuriger
Phone +51 1 264 5001