Deglaciation in the Andean Region

Painter, James

2007

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1. Studies predict there will be a dramatic decline, in the long-term, in water availability in the dry season in areas fed by glaciers. 2. Few studies have been carried out on the impact of glacial melt, even though Peru and Bolivia are very vulnerable. 3. If the models are correct, growing conflict over the distribution of water resources is very likely, particularly during the dry season. 4. Funding adaptation and mitigation measures will be critical. 5. The poor are likely to be worst hit by water shortages. The rural poor are also likely to bear a disproportionate share of the cost of glacial retreat and water shortages, when compared to other sectors. This is for three reasons: hundreds of thousands of poor people will be in the front-line of increased exposure to the possibility of natural disasters in high-altitude glacial-fed areas. Small producers in the agro-export sector will be less able to adapt to less water availability compared to larger agro-industrial concerns. And political decisions over priorities for water usage are unlikely to favour small-scale upstream farmers over demands from the mining, agro-export, and hydroelectricity sectors, and from downstream cities needing a regular supply of drinking water. [Extractos: Summary]

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Bolivia; Cambio climático; Perú; Región andina; Vulnerabilidad al cambio climático;