Coordinated action in the region to build an agenda with an emphasis on improving water and food security

The Regional Resilient Andes Project began in May 2020, and since the start its focus has been the inclusion of vulnerable rural Andean populations, through strengthening the capacities of public and private sector stakeholders, encouraging coordination to provide services that help rural Andean communities living in poverty and vulnerability to strengthen their resilience and capacity to adapt to climate change, primarily in the search for improvements in food security and water security. SDC is implementing the regional project in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru, and its first phase will run until 2024.

Resilient Andes plays a facilitating role, as a catalyst for the articulation and inclusion of stakeholders and initiatives to produce sustainable impacts at scale. It promotes discussion, cooperation and regional learning shared globally (cross-cutting action). It cooperates in innovation, transformation of practices, strengthening interventions and improving services, promoting the concept of inclusive adaptation, with a systemic approach to climate change adaptation focused on rural Andean communities.

In 2021, SDC held a number of activities in each of the countries. The most important ones are described below, together with the perspectives and projections for 2022.

Milestones and perspectives for 2022

BOLIVIA

Resilient Andes liaises with a number of agencies through the Bolivian National Technical Committee composed of the Ministry of Development Planning (MPD), the Ministry of Rural Development and Land (MDRyT) and the Ministry of Environment and Water (MMyA), in coordination with the Pluri-national Authority of Mother Earth (APMT).

In 2021 the most marked activities were:

• The National Programme for Urban and Peri-urban Family Farming and the Family Programme for Strengthening and Supporting Beekeeping Production, which include adaptation action, were formulated and approved. They will be implemented in 196 municipalities vulnerable to climate change with an investment of BS. 395,109.
• The Commercial and Productive Strategy of the Participatory Guarantee Systems (SPG) of agroecological production was formulated and approved. It will benefit producers of 35 ecological agricultural systems in 212 products. Agroecology is also a strategy for adapting to climate change.
• 210 national and subnational civil servants were trained in climate change, in the use of the CEDRIG tool for risk prevention, and in the implementation of the NDCs and the roles of agencies in the international climate agenda.

• Pilot experience for the horizontal scaling up of good practices and technologies for climate resilience in native potato farming with 40 farming families in the Andean area of Cochabamba, and drafting guidelines for scaling it up.

Action started in 2021 which will be completed in 2022:

• Updating the National Strategy for Agricultural Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change 2021-2026, and formulating the National Agricultural Risk Management Programme. 
• Study of vulnerability and climate risk of Andean family farmers.
• Technical analysis of the impacts of projects and partnership plans of the EMPODERAR programme and IPDSA, with emphasis on the impacts on crop and stock production, social resilience and that of Andean agro-ecosystems to climate variability and change.

Download here the Strategic plan for Bolivia – 2022

ECUADOR

In Ecuador, the National Technical Committee is composed of the Ministry of Environment, Ecological Transition and Water (MAATE), the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) and the Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion (MIES). The following progress has been made:

• Participation in the formulating and disseminating the National Climate Finance Strategy (EFIC), and assessing the specific climate finance needs of peasant family farming in which 422 participants from peasant family farming associations and individual farmers from four Andean provinces participated.
• Mapping of entities and micro-financial services relevant to climate change adaptation in Andean family farming in order to establish a baseline for partnership work and promotion of financial services tailored to farmers’ adaptation needs.
• drafting and publicising the map of organic carbon in soils, standardising data and samples from MAATE and MAG.
• 10 training modules, 10 thematic videos and 1 guide for trainers on agriculture and adaptation to climate change, for use in training for family farmers in high Andean areas in the MIES’ Schools of Economic Inclusion, and developing mobile and web applications that complement face-to-face training and can be used without an internet connection.
• Strengthening the registry and seal of Peasant Family Farming, including information on the climate vulnerability of farmers and their production, and digitisation of the registry by incorporating data from more than 25,000 registered farmers, which will allow data on the evolution of vulnerability to be monitored.

• A total of 68 technicians and extension workers from MAATE, MAG and MIES from territorial teams, trained through seven training modules on sustainable development and agriculture, climate change, gender and multi-stakeholder coordination, by the SEK Ecuador International University.
• Systematisation of good practices on Sustainable Land Management for climate resilient agriculture in high Andean areas registered and reported by Ecuador to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and Land Degradation (UNCCD).
• Mapping of rural outreach entities and services in the provinces of Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, Bolivar and Azuay, to establish a network to strengthen their capacities to incorporate climate issues and adaptive practices in rural extension services.
• Four discussions on Andean rural women’s ancestral knowledge of family farming and climate resilience practices with 109 women from Bolivar, Chimborazo, Azuay and Cotopaxi. As a result of these, their knowledge has been systematised and radio programmes produced to broadcast over local media. This activity was part of the National Agricultural Strategy for Rural Women.

Action started in 2021 which Will be completed in 2022:

• A guide to develop Technical Management Plans for Water Protection Areas (HPAs) integrating climate change and gender and their pilot application in two micro-river basins, the San Lorenzo and Illuchi rivers.
• A study of the tree tomato value chain in a context of climate change, an important product for producers in Chimborazo and Cotopaxi, including useful material for policy makers.

Download here the Strategic Plan for Ecuador – 2022

PERU

In Peru, the project’s National Technical Committee is composed of the Ministry of Environment (MINAM), the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Irrigation (MIDAGRI) and the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion (MIDIS) through the Social Development Cooperation Fund (FONCODES). The actions planned and approved for 2021 were:

• Two Regional Action Plans for implementing the sector NDCs jointly formulated with the regional governments of Cusco and Puno and MIDAGRI, through a participatory process with decision-makers, technicians and field workers, 97 in Cusco and 118 in Puno.
• Technical assistance for drafting four guides and one technical manual to guide the methodology of water resources planning and management with a focus on planting and harvesting water at the micro-watershed level, for Haku Wiñay of FONCODES.
• Support for the publication of the book «Cuencas para la vida» (Watersheds for life) of the National Programme for Watershed Management and Soil Conservation (PRONAMACHCS) and Agro Rural, as a capitalisation of knowledge of effective evidence in Peru’s Andes.
• Some 300 participants from the Territorial Units and Executing Units, eight decision-makers and 56 specialists from FONCODES Haku Wiñay project were part of the seminar cycle «Climate Change, Water and Agroecology» for capacity-building in climate change adaptation.

• A total of 54 professionals, including public officials concerned with climate change adaptation roles in Peru, were trained in Andean Agriculture Adapted to Climate Change, thanks to the joint work of international think tanks, Peruvian universities, government agencies and NGOs.
• Capacity-building with artisanal cheese producers from 30 cheese plants in Puno, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca and La Libertad, together with the MIDAGRI’s Livestock Development Department (DGDG) and Sierra y Selva Exportadora (SSE).
• Definition of management and planning tools for updating the GTTSACC-MIDAGRI, as an intra-sector management model for implementing the NDCs.
• Creation and local strengthening of the Agroclimatic Management Platform of the district of Acora, Puno, with the participation of 33 people, led by MIDAGRI, DRA Puno and the Puno Zonal Department of SENAMHI and the Municipality of Acora. This also involved training 64 farmers (including 23 women) in strengthening the use of agro-climatic data (PICSA) with SENAMHI in the framework of the PGA.

Action started in 2021 which Will be completed in 2022:

• Technical advice for strengthening the Guidelines for formulating Public Investment Projects (PIP) in the typology of water planting and harvesting of the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Irrigation.
• Technical assistance for the market study of the supply and demand of rural talents in Cusco and Puno in the framework of the National Strategy for Rural Talents (ENTR) of the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Irrigation.
• Technical assistance for drafting a guide for Andean family farming in the context of climate change, for the FONCODES programme Haku Wiñay.
• Three technical tools for recognising, planning and managing agro-biodiversity conservation areas of the National Institute for Agrarian Innovation (INIA) and the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Irrigation, formulated and ready to be disseminated.

Download here the Strategic Plan for Peru – 2022

Source: Regional Andes Resilient to Climate Change Project

About Andes Resilient to Climate Change

The regional project «Andes Resilient to Climate Change» is promoted by Swiss Cooperation (SDC) and facilitated by the consortium Helvetas Swiss Inter-cooperation (Fundación Avina) in partnership with the International Institute Sustainable Development (IISD) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). It is part of SDC’s Global Climate Change and Environment Programme. Its first phase will run from May 2020 to April 2024.

For further information:
Brochure Regional Andes Resilient to Climate Change Project
FS Regional Andes Resilient to Climate Change Project
Facebook Andes Resilient to Climate Change