Study seeks to improve the response capacity of producers in the face of climate events that may endanger the food safety of these communities.
Last November 9, within the framework of the Climandes 2 project, the National Meteorology and Hydrology Service of Peru (SENAMHI) presented the study “Social Economic Benefits of Climate Services for Agriculture: Quinoa cultivation in Puno case”, which reveals that subsistence farmers are the most vulnerable in the face of extreme climate events, due to their social and economic conditions that endanger their food safety and well-being.
The event held at the 27 de Enero Convention Center in San Borja, was inaugurated by Fernando León Morales, Vice Minister of Natural Resources Strategic Development of the Ministry of the Environment (MINAM). In his opening speech, he stated that in Peru, ever since the pre-Inca time, the population has been resilient to face climate variability and it is farmers who perform practices to adapt to climate change. He also congratulated the implementation of this initiative that highlights the relevance of climate services. León Morales shared the stage with Ken Takahashi Guevara, Executive President of SENAMHI and Grinia Avalos Roldán, Technical Coordinator of the Climandes 2 Project.
Thereafter, Grinia Avalos Roldán presented the Global Framework for Climate Services and stated that “the World Meteorological Organization is implementing policies to promote climate services globally and the SENAMHI forms part of this strategy. Our goal is to improve the management of risks related to climate variability and change towards achieving adaptation at all levels through the development and incorporation of scientifically based climate information and forecasts in the planning and execution of public policies”.
About the studyKaterin Cristobal, member of the research team of the study, presented the most relevant results and indicated that “with the improvement of Climate Service and Access to information, the implementation of a frost alert would generate an approximate potential benefit of 9 million soles per agricultural campaign. Furthermore, it would contribute to the actions to face climate and hunger and poverty reduction, problems that have been prioritized by the Sustainable Development Goals.”
The study is the result of joint efforts engaged by SENAMHI and MeteoSwiss within the framework of the Climandes 2 Project, which comprised a household survey applied to 726 small quinoa producers in 60 peasant communities of the Quechua and Aymara zone in Puno. Finally, the data to identify the determining elements of climate impacts on agricultural production were discussed.
The results indicated that 40% of quinoa producers in the highlands are subsistence farmers and that the geographical and climatic characteristics of the region cause the quinoa crop to be exposed to frost and drought events, mainly in the emerging and flowering phase, causing the loss of crops and income.
Following the presentation of the results obtained by the study, a panel was opened with the participation of representatives from key sectors, such as Finances, Agriculture, the private sector and international cooperation. The panel was formed by Lina Sjaavik, Project Official of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Martín Jaggi, Director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (COSUDE) Mario Rohrer, Climate expert from MeteoDat and professor at the University of Geneva, Katherine Gonzales, specialist in Disaster Risk Management of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) Eduardo Arévalo, specialist of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MINAGRI) and Yonel Mendoza, meteorologist and representative of the Agriculture Insurance area of La Positiva.
The space was opportune to emphasize that this study evidences the need to ensure that hydrometeorological services may articulate the information generated by Senamhi to the action or measures to be taken by users. They mentioned that this study is the starting point of the development of an articulated work to provide climate services to strengthen the social and economic benefits of making informed decisions. It was also noted that these services respond to an articulated process between the national service and the key sector actors, articulation that needs to be consolidated.
You may download the study by clicking here: siguiente enlace.
About ClimandesClimandes forms part of the Global Program for Climate Change and Environment of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (COSUDE). The project seeks to provide reliable and timely climate services for decision making in the search of more resilient development in the face of climate variability in joint efforts with the meteorological services of Switzerland (MeteoSwiss) and Peru (SENAMHI) the academy, the private sector and the citizens. It is implemented within the context of the Global Framework for Climate Services of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
For photos of the event, click here.
Relevant links:CLIMANDES Project, project fiche, Swiss Embassy, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (COSUDE)
Web National Meteorology and Hydrology Service of Peru
Web La Molina University
Web World Meteorological Organization
Web MeteoSwiss
