There are no two identical sites in the mosaic of landscapes and cultures of the High Andes: each socio-ecosystem presents different risks, exposure, and vulnerability to climate change. Identifying these factors will allow for the definition of priority measures to increase the resilience of rural populations in the high Andean regions through collaborative work based on the exchange of experiences and strategies aimed at addressing a common challenge in the mountainous regions of the Andes.

Contributing to this process, the Andean Mountain Initiative (IAM) shares the Regional Synthesis of the study called «Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change in High Mountain Areas of the Andean Region:  Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela (Vulnerabilidad y adaptación al cambio climático en zonas de alta montaña de la región andina: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú y Venezuela),» conducted with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecorregión Andina, CONDESAN), and prepared by the DEUMAN consulting firm.

The study focuses on the impact on the major economic activities of the high Andean regions (agriculture, livestock, and tourism) and provides a detailed analysis of their relationship with water resources. It identifies knowledge gaps and key thematic areas and offers a series of recommendations to reduce climate vulnerability in the Andes.

To further analyse this at the regional level, the study then focuses on seven basins, one for each country, selected for their characteristics and importance by the IAM member countries: the Bermejo River Basin in Argentina, the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, the Maipo River Basin in Chile, the Sogamoso River Basin in Colombia, the Esmeraldas River Basin in Ecuador, the Santa River Basin in Peru, and the Chama and Motatán Rivers in Venezuela. In each of them, a series of socio-environmental variables were evaluated to characterize each basin and make future projections in climate change scenarios. At the same time, adaptation projects that have been carried out or are ongoing were identified, allowing for the collection of experiences and lessons learned.

Among the main findings of the study, in the social aspect, the higher vulnerability of ethnic minorities and rural women stands out, due to their high dependence on ecosystem services in the high Andean areas. Regarding agriculture, climate change is expected to affect the productivity of different crops in the region differently in each case: there are areas where an increase in droughts is expected, leading to water stress in crops, while others will experience higher rainfall in short periods of time, and consequently, a greater risk of floods and landslides. A similar situation occurs in livestock, where the expansion of the activity in an unsustainable manner has also been identified as a risk factor. Glacier retreat would directly impact the basins whose irrigation systems are directly supplied by glacial origin rivers in the dry season, but it also affects tourism, another way of life investigated in the study. It is observed that nature tourism is already being affected by the loss of biodiversity and impacts on ecosystems, resulting in the loss of scenic beauty and cultural identity.

To strengthen the adaptive ability of high Andean communities and ecosystems, five lines of work related to ecosystem-based adaptation are proposed: sustainable and sustainable livestock, sustainable and viable agriculture and agroecology, transformation of tourism, water security, and ecosystem and biodiversity conservation.  The study also identifies a series of enabling measures necessary for the implementation of the recommendations, such as strengthening capacities in local governments and communities, improving public investment in climate change adaptation measures, monitoring adaptation projects, strengthening governance and institutional capacity at the national, basin, and local levels, and enhancing hydroclimatic and biodiversity monitoring.

With the Regional Synthesis of the study «Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change in High Mountain Areas of the Andean Region:  Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela,» IAM provides a fundamental tool for regional, national, and local processes of climate change adaptation in high Andean communities and ecosystems.

The study is a product planned in the 2022 – 2026 Action Plan of the Andean Mountain Initiative. It was prepared by the DEUMAN consulting firm, with technical support and financial assistance from the Adaptation in the Heights project (proyecto Adaptación en las Alturas), promoted by Swiss Cooperation COSUDE, IKI, and Euroclima+, through CONDESAN and UNEP.

We share the study «Vulnerabilidad y Adaptación al cambio climático en zonas de alta montaña de la región andina» (PDF Span).

Source: CONDESAN

About the Andean Mountain Initiative

The Andean Mountains Initiative is a platform composed of the seven countries that share a common territory: the Andes Mountains. Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela voluntarily work to strengthen regional dialogue to encourage and carry out joint action.

About the Adaptation at Altitude Programme

Adaptation at Altitude works to promote knowledge management, producing comprehensive information and analysis, identifying solutions to climate change to integrate them into land management and decision-making, from the local to the continental scale.

The Adaptation at Altitude programme is being implemented from 2019-2023 in the Andes by CONDESAN, through an agreement with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). It works with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in the mountain regions of East Africa and the South Caucasus, and with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

It collaborates with global initiatives such as the Stockholm Environmental Institute (SEI), the Mountain Research initiative MRI, the ZOÏ Environmental Network and the WeAdapt programme of the University of Geneva, and with key partners in the Andes. It supports two continental monitoring networks in Andean mountain ecosystems: the GLORIA-Andes Network and the Andean Forest Network. The project is part of the global Adaptation at Altitude programme.

More information:
Web Adaptation at Altitude Programme
Web Andean Mountain Initiative