Climate Change in the Peruvian Andes: A Case Study on Small-Scale Farmers’ Vulnerability in the Quillcay River Basin

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that climatic changes in the Peruvian Andes pose a threat to lowland communities, mainly through changes in hydrology. This study uses a case study approach and a mixed qualitative-quantitative method to examine the vulnerability of small-scale farmers in the Quillcay River basin to variations in precipitation and enhanced glacier retreat. The findings of the study show partly contradicting results. On one hand, interpretation of semi-structured interviews suggests a strong relation between climate proxies and increased vulnerability of the smallholders. On the other hand, in the quantitative analysis enhanced glacier retreat seemed to have augmented vulnerability solely to some extent whereas precipitation did not show significant impact. The assessment of the socioeconomic dimension revealed that larger market forces, weak political entitlement and lack of social and economic capital fundamentally increased smallholders' vulnerability. It is, therefore, suggested that a complex cluster of economic, political and social factors are the root causes of small-scale farmers' vulnerability in the case study region whereas climate-related changes merely act as multiplying factors.

A review of groundwater in high mountain environments

“…Globally, the retreat of mountain glaciers and snowpack, including the resulting variability in discharge, has a variety of human impacts on municipal water supply, hydropower, food security, and culture (Carey et al, 2017). High mountain communities are already experiencing climate change impacts and are particularly vulnerable (Gurgiser et al, 2016;Heikkinen, 2017). Though groundwater provides some resilience to high mountain water resources, it is also vulnerable to long-term climate change (Somers et al, 2019).…”

Adaptation Measures to Climate Change as Perceived by Smallholder Farmers in the Andes

“…For many agricultural communities, a CC-related event is based on its local context (Salick and Ross 2009). The most commonly associated climatic events by other highland Andean smallholders from Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru are drought, night frost, changes in precipitation patterns, floods, high temperatures, and the increase of pest diseases, all of which also ranked high among Altiplano Cundiboyacense smallholders (Heikkinen 2017; Hosftede et al 2015; López et al 2017; Meldrum et al 2018; Parrado-Barbosa and Molina 2012; Pradilla 2016; Taboada et al 2017). Several interviewed smallholders perceived benefits from CC, such as the rising temperature's positive effect on plant growth, shorter cultivation times, or the possibility to cultivate crops from warmer climates.…”

“…The perceptions of CC among Andean farmers across studies are associated with more permanent, irregular, extreme, and unpredictable climatic events, as well as increasing pests and diseases and changes in crops' suitability (Boillat and Berkes 2013;Meldrum et al 2018;Ponce 2020;Valdivia et al 2010). Many of these observations and perceptions coincide with most CC models and predictions based on scientific studies (Heikkinen 2017;López et al 2017;Ramírez-Villegas et al 2012). But the value in understanding rural communities' perceptions of CC relies on them possessing detailed knowledge of climate patterns and how those patterns have been changing in their respective regions, which ultimately factors into interpreting their capacity to develop effective climate adaptation strategies to such risks (Boillat and Berkes 2013;Reyes-García et al 2015).…”

“…Unlike climatic data and models that are mostly global or regional in scope, the experience and consequent perception of CC is locally fine grained and, therefore, framed within a specific cultural context (Ambrosio-Albalá 2015; Salick and Ross 2009). There are, in fact, a growing number of studies that examine the perception of CC among small-scale farmers in the Andean highland plateaus (Altiplanos) for three main reasons: the climate in mountain regions is historically harsh and sensitive to changes in its ecosystem (Heikkinen 2017; López et al 2017); smallholders' livelihoods are dependent on agriculture (Boillat and Berkes 2013; López et al 2017; Pradilla 2016); and smallholders have sustained agricultural production for generations with an associated high agrobiodiversity embedded in complex LKS (Lin 2011; Meldrum et al 2018; Ponce 2020; Tengö et al 2014). The perceptions of CC among Andean farmers across studies are associated with more permanent, irregular, extreme, and unpredictable climatic events, as well as increasing pests and diseases and changes in crops' suitability (Boillat and Berkes 2013; Meldrum et al 2018; Ponce 2020; Valdivia et al 2010).…”

Towards integrated assessments of water risks in deglaciating mountain areas: water scarcity and GLOF risk in the Peruvian Andes

“…Vanishing glaciers, natural hazards (like inundations, mudflows, and landslides), decreasing river discharge, drying springs, next to shifts in precipitation patterns are apparent climate change impacts noticed by the local population in one way or another (Jurt 2009 ; Gurgiser et al 2016 ; Carey et al 2017 ; Heikkinen 2017 ; Mark et al 2017 ). Nevertheless, the perceptions of people living in endangered areas differ where the risk of sudden-onset events such as GLOFs is often being underestimated due to inaccurate predictions, mitigation projects, little interaction with the hazard or believe in higher power (Dahal and Hagelman 2011 ; Sherry et al 2018 ; Walker-Crawford et al 2018 ).…”