[Thematic Report] [Climate Change]: Impact of Climate Change in Peru

by Kevin López - Peru

From the banks of the Utcubamba River to the heights where the streams are born, I observe various crops daily, sources of life for thousands of families in the province of Bagua, where I work. However, something is quietly changing, damaging the flowering of plants, drying up streams and springs, changing the seasons and creating great damage to crops. Farmers know the answer very well: climate change.

Photo: Kevin Lopez. Rice crops in Naranjitos (Bagua, Amazonas, Peru)

But what is climate change and why should we care?

Climate change refers to a wide range of global phenomena, created predominantly by the burning of fossil fuels, adding heat-trapping gases to the Earth's atmosphere [1]. These gases are called "Greenhouse Gases" (GHG) since, like a greenhouse, they keep the heat from the sun on Earth. But, since the Industrial Revolution, these GHGs have increased rapidly, generating a worrying increase in the temperature of the earth.

In recent years there has been a growing concern to implement international policies to reduce GHG emissions, achieving the commitment of various countries.

The world is made up of 195 countries, but only a few are responsible for releasing about 75% of total greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. These include China, which produces 27% of total emissions, the United States, with 13%, and the European Union and India with 7% together [2].

But, climate change does not affect everyone equally. Some countries, due to their geographical and socio-economic characteristics, are much more vulnerable than others to the impact of extreme weather events. The most affected are those developing nations that do not have sufficient infrastructure, their rescue and emergency services do not have the necessary capacity and their capacity for post-disaster economic and social regeneration is much lower than that of fully industrialized countries [3] .

In Peru, various studies have predicted the impacts that climate change will cause. Among them are the glacial retreat, the decrease in the availability of water for human consumption, agricultural use, industrial use and electricity generation, the increased risk of natural disasters such as “huaycos”, the increase in the frequency and intensity of the El Niño phenomenon, the decrease in the availability of phytoplankton in the sea, the savannah of tropical forests, the loss of biodiversity and the extinction of species [4].

However, Peru is also a key country to mitigate the impacts of climate change and this is demonstrated by a recent scientific study published earlier this month in the specialized journal Science Advances called "A global safety net to reverse the loss of biodiversity and stabilize the Earth's climate". This study identifies the natural areas that are a priority to work on the conservation and restoration of biodiversity until 2030. There, it is identified that Peru has 63% of its surface classified as “with particular importance for biodiversity”. This percentage, according to the study, makes it possible to provide ecosystem services for the region and the world. That is, those economic, social and environmental benefits that the population achieves from healthy ecosystems, such as drinking water human, carbon storage, air quality, among others [5].

In conclusion, today the effects of climate change are increasingly visible. While there have been international efforts to mitigate these effects, much more effort and commitment is still needed. We young people and future generations will be the ones who will experience firsthand the tragic events that are forecast today if we do little or nothing to prevent them. We all have a commitment to our planet and from our trenches we have a duty to do small and large actions to guarantee ourselves a better future.