Impact of Climate Change in The Cusco Region
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ScribdTranslationsImpact of Climate Change in The Cusco Region
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ScribdTranslationsIMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE CUSCO REGION
Climate of Cusco
The Cusco region, located in the central and southeastern part of Peru, has a great diversity of climates.
landscapes and ecosystems. This region presents a strong temperature gradient (relationship between
the change in vertical and horizontal) due to its topographical characteristics, varying from a
warm humid to very humid climate over the northern and central eastern jungle area up to climates
frigid and semi-arid in the high areas of the mountain ranges in the southern region.
The contrasts between the rainy season and the dry season (absence of rain) are
characteristics in the high Andean areas in both regions.
The climate of the southern region of the country is strongly influenced by two important factors: the
predominant atmospheric dynamics of the tropical latitudes and its interaction with the
regional geographic characteristics. In that sense, the presence of the Andes Mountains gives it
it confers to the southern region, specific and differentiated climatic characteristics compared to others.
regions located at the same latitude.
A counterclockwise circulation at high levels of the atmosphere known as the Bolivian High,
predominates over much of Peru, Bolivia, and northern Chile during the summer months
(December-January-February), generating easterly winds that favor the influx of masses of
humid air coming from the Amazon and rising through the mountain ranges
forming clouds with great vertical development (convective) thus producing the most significant rains
of the year in the southern region of the country. About the high Andean regions, such as the regions of Cusco and
Apurímac, the predominance of cloud cover in the period from December to January-February
conditions the decrease of the maximum temperature intensity in these areas during the period
diurnal (we have cool days then), as well as; the decrease in the intensity of the
minimum temperatures during the nighttime period (warm nights prevail).
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change is a phenomenon of a global nature but with regional manifestations.
very different locales. The analysis of the evolution of temperature and precipitation through
Time, in Cusco and Apurímac, allows for the detection of changes in their distribution and frequency.
FACTORS THAT EVIDENCE CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE CUSCO REGION
THE PRECIPITATIONS
In Cusco and Apurímac, the amount of precipitation and its distribution throughout the year shows
Variations over time, associated with changes in atmospheric circulation. The data from
Precipitation over the last 44 years indicates the following: Annual precipitation has been
increased at a rate of 7.5 to 63.2 mm per decade in the Apurímac region (Curahuasi, Abancay and
Chalhuanca), and at a rate of 2.2 to 22.0 mm per decade in the Cusco region (Cay Cay and Urubamba).
This indicates that in each decade there is an increasing amount of total rainfall on an annual basis.
Apurímac like in Cusco.
The towns of Urubamba (Cusco) and Chalhuanca (Apurímac) experience variations in the
amounts of precipitation occurring from one year to another, determined in part by the occurrence
of El Niño events (1969-70, 1982-83, 1997-98 in red) and La Niña (1972-73, 1988-89, 1999-2001)
in blue), and the alteration in atmospheric circulation patterns.
The evolution of rainfall over the last 44 years shows an increase over time, being greater
in Urubamba (20.3 mm/decade) in relation to Chalhuanca (7.5 mm/decade). However, in the
In the recent decade (2000-2008), an apparent trend of reduction is observed in both.
localities with values of 190.8 and 520.9 mm/decade, respectively.
The rains during summer (the rainiest season of the year) show increases at a rate of
14.1 to 44.7 mm per decade in Apurímac (Curahuasi and Abancay) and from 8.5 to 17.6 mm per decade in
Cusco (Urubamba, Pisac, Cay Cay and Ccatcca)
During winter (the driest season of the year), rainfall increases at a rate of 1 mm per
decade in Cay Cay (Cusco). In other localities of Cusco (Urubamba, Pisac, Granja Kayra and
Ccatcca) and from Apurímac (Curahuasi, Abancay, and Chalhuanca), trends indicate an increase in
rains at a rate of 1 to 2.2 mm per year and from 0.02 to 2.2 mm per decade respectively;
exception of Sicuani (-0.04 mm/decade) and Acomayo (-0.2 mm/decade), in the southern highlands of the region
Cusco, which shows a trend of decreasing rainfall over the last 44 years.
In summary, these values can be observed in the following table, where the trend
associated with a significance of 99% is highlighted in bold and the significance values are indicated
in italics.
THE TEMPERATURES
Temperatures are changing While the average temperature of the planet is
increased steadily since the mid-20th century, due to the sustained increase in
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere; observations of maximum temperature and
The minimum air in Cusco and Apurímac shows variations.
The maximum temperature, for the annual period and in much of the seasons of the year, shows
increase over the last 44 years, ranging between 0.2 and 0.4 °C/decade in Curahuasi (Apurímac) and
between 0.039 and 0.6 °C/decade in Urubamba, Acomayo, Sicuani, and Granja Kcayra (Cusco), being
markedly significant in Granja Kcayra. While the maximum temperature decreases
taking values ranging from -0.7 to -0.002 °C/decade in the towns of Ccatcca (Cusco),
Chalhuanca (Apurímac) and Abancay (Apurímac), being significant in the latter.
FROST
SEQUOIAS
IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE CUSCO REGION
The Cusco Region is an Andean-Amazonian unit, which gives it a very special characteristic.
in addition to presenting human and ecosystem conditions (it has 7 natural regions1of the 8
that Peru has) very diverse although articulated.
It shows a decrease in its population growth, especially in the rural area, there exists
a migration from the countryside to the city and there are 4 provinces that are experiencing a decline, however,
still almost half of the population lives in the rural area. The population is predominantly young, it is
to say, children and those of working age, who will suffer more severely from the impacts of climate change
climatic. This population is mostly in a situation of extreme poverty and poverty, and
their HDI is also low, which reduces resilience capacity. In addition, 13.9%
of the total population is illiterate, with a higher incidence among women in rural areas.
The urban population is the one that has had strong growth, with the city of Cusco being the one that
concentrates half (50% of the urban population in the region), followed very far behind by Sicuani,
Quillabamba and Espinar. This population concentration in some cities occurs in areas not
suitable for occupation, as they are high-risk disaster areas, in addition to increasing the
demand for basic services and exacerbates the problem of solid waste management.
Regarding housing, a large percentage have not been designed to adapt to the climate and even less
even to the changes and effects that climate change will produce, making them unhealthy. For
For example, it is found that 81.9% of homes have adobe or rammed earth walls, which can
provide a certain level of comfort, but due to the way they have been built, they are highly
vulnerable to floods, rains, hail, etc.
Regarding health issues, there is a strong incidence of endocrine diseases.
nutritional and metabolic, infectious and parasitic, as well as acute respiratory infections
in children, which could be accentuated by the effects of variability and climate change, making it
this highly vulnerable group. On the other hand, in 2007 only half of the households had a network.
public water supply inside the home and only 33.3% had public sewer network inside
of housing, while 34.5% have no service at all. This situation exacerbates malnutrition
chronicle in children under 5 years old, which reached 40.7% in some provinces.
One of the main activities of the region is agricultural activity, however, it must be
It is very important to note that only 3.1% of the regional territory has agricultural suitability. According to
In 1994, 85% of the farmland was rainfed, which increases its
vulnerability to climate change. Most agricultural soils exhibit a
low and medium fertility. Many products and some animals are very sensitive to changes in
temperature, periods of precipitation, extreme events, etc., which come
increasing.
1Pulgar Vidal–1947
In the region, as in the whole country, there has been a strong process of selective exploitation of
species, putting some varieties at risk of extinction. Coupled with deforestation due to
indiscriminate logging, each year forest fires are caused by farmers,
that degrade the soil.
The Cusco Region has several mining extraction points, and in many cases they come
polluting the waters of the rivers adjacent to them, this is compounded by the pollution due to
the wastewater from populated centers and cities, which is discharged directly into the
riverbeds, streams, etc. But pollution does not only occur in water resources, but also
it is also present in the soil due to the use of chemical products for agriculture.
The Cusco Region has great potential and currently presents a large water supply, without
embargo, talking about availability does not always imply actual access to the resource, for various reasons:
location, flow, etc. It is also noted that the highest water demand (91.74%) is for the
irrigation activity, since a high percentage is done by gravity and other systems of
inefficient use of water.
The Cusco Region is very rich in its cultural and biological diversity. It has several ecological floors, the
which could vary with climate change and require differentiated attention. Cusco
it is a custodian of important phytogenetic resources, both domesticated and wild. On the other hand,
Cusco, Madre de Dios, and Puno are part of the Vilcabamba-Amboró Biological Corridor (Peru).
(Bolivia), which is registered in the macro-space of the Tropical Andes, one of the eight territories
of the world's mega-biodiversity.
The Cusco Region has a high genetic variability, identified by the universities of
Cusco, INIA, CIP and other research institutions that have enabled the conservation of 56333
accessions of 104 plant species. The risks of a disappearance of this wealth are
imminent, so all efforts must be focused mainly on maintaining the
native species.
Regarding the climate of the Cusco region, the trend is towards an increase in precipitation and
to the increase in maximum and minimum temperatures. However, it is necessary to indicate that the
increase in precipitation is occurring during the rainy season (December, January to
March), while in August and September it tends to decrease, which is
affecting the timing of agricultural activities. It is important to note that there is no
with a network of weather stations, they are only available in some places and of these, some
they do not have continuous records over an extended period of years, which allow for development
climate change scenarios closest to reality.
One of the conclusions from the perception of the population is that the climate has changed, it is very
variable, extreme events such as torrential rains, droughts, frosts have intensified,
strong winds, etc. that have resulted in disasters at the production level,
infrastructure, human lives, etc.
This entire situation occurs in an economic context where 45.2% of the EAP is found in
agriculture, fishing, and mining, which is reflected in the regional GDP, where the largest contributor is
mining with 26.3%, while agriculture, hunting, and forestry contributed 10.4%.
The sectors in the Cusco region with the greatest potential are tourism, agriculture, and
the energy miner. South American camelids are a strategic resource, their breeding
it constitutes the largest livestock and genetic capital of the high Andean inhabitants, (above the
4,000 m.a.s.l.
According to the HDI 2009, the Cusco region ranks 15th in the ranking with S/. 262.5 per month as
average Family Income per Capita (IFPC). The province of Cusco ranks 9th with a
IDPC of S/. 428.0, while the province of Paruro ranks 191st with an IFPC of S/.
119.4. Within the districts, Ccatca ranks 1810 with S/. 95.7 while Wanchaq occupies
position 35 with S/. 526.2.
FACTORS THAT EVIDENCE CLIMATE CHANGE IN CUSCO
Temperature
The historical information observed reveals a sustained increase in extreme temperatures.
(maximum and minimum) annual since 1965, on the order of 0.01 to 0.04 ºC per year on average, which is
consistent with the positive trend of the maximum extreme temperature index, observed
mainly in the high Andean regions of Anta and Sicuani.2
In most stations of the Cusco-Apurímac region, a positive trend is observed in the
intensity of the maximum daily extreme temperature, meaning the days are becoming hotter.
Positive trends predominate in the intensity of daily minimum temperature, that is,
cold nights are tending to be warmer; with the exception of Sicuani (Cusco) and all the
stations of Apurímac, where there is a significant decrease in the intensity of this index,
In these locations, the nights over the last 44 years have been getting colder.3
2Climate Change Scenarios in the Urubamba River Basin for the year 2100. Project 'Adaptation to
Accelerated Retreat of Glaciers in the Tropical Andes” PRAA.
3Climatic characterization of the Regions of Cusco and Apurímac. National Meteorological Service and
