Peruvian researchers have organised to communicate their findings to diverse audiences - about the impacts of climate change on Peru, and the potential of adaptation and mitigation solutions. CDKN's Sandra Isola reports.

It has been a great challenge for scientists to communicate about climate change in a timely and accessible way with citizens and decision-makers – to support the comprehensive management of climate change. For this reason, any effort to bring scientific information about climate change to diverse audiences is key.

To bridge this gap between science and action, since 2020, a group called the Grupo Impulsor de Acción Climática de la Academia del Perú in Spanish, in English: Academic Catalyst for Climate Action - Peru, has been in place. The group has created a discussion space for 57 academic and research institutions, of which 25 are private and 32 are public.

The Catalyst Group is represented on the National Commission on Climate Change, whose purpose is to communicate and coordinate national climate guidelines and actions with Peru’s three tiers of government, and with representatives of the private sector and civil society. The National Commission oversees climate mainstreaming into development planning and management.

Academic dialogue

The Catalyst Group's first Academic Dialogue, entitled “Contributions of Science to Our Climate Challenge" was held on June 25, 2021 (in Spanish, “Diálogo Académico: Aportes de la Ciencia a Nuestro Desafío Climático”. Its purpose was to disseminate research by different universities and research centres on climate change.

At the event, speakers shared findings about climate change impacts and various adaptation and mitigation measures. In this first dialogue, information from five investigations was shared, as follows.

Although the contributing papers to the event, and the event summary, are in Spanish, you may translate to English via your internet browser and/or scroll to the end of the policy briefs for source reading in English.

• The increase in temperature in the Andes and its implications. Research that seeks to identify the types of warming and their impacts among the different altitudinal sections of the Peruvian Andes. – Led by agricultural engineer Raúl Espinoza, from La Molina National Agrarian University. (Read the policy brief in Spanish: El aumento de la temperatura en los Andes y sus implicancias. )

• The quality of development plans from a climate change perspective. This research analysed the integration of regional climate change strategies in development plans. – Led by environmental engineer Shakira Valdivia, from Universidad Católica de Santa María. (Read the policy brief in Spanish: La calidad de los planes de desarrollo concertado bajo una perspectiva de cambio climático.)

• The loss of oxygen from Peruvian coastal waters due to global warming and the consequent degradation of fishing resources. This study seeks to identify the impact of global warming on oxygen conditions in Peru’s coastal waters and the subsequent impact on the biodiversity and productivity of this ecosystem. -  Led by geosciences and hydrobiology expert Jorge Cardich, from Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. (Read the policy brief in Spanish: La pérdida de oxígeno del mar peruano por el calentamiento global y la consecuente degradación de los recursos pesqueros.)

• The importance of differentiated monitoring for infrastructure projects. This research aimed at monitoring the sediments of Amazonian rivers, as the main agent of fluvial dynamics and the connectivity of Andean-Amazonian landscapes. -  Led by civil engineer Leo Guerrero, from the University of Engineering and Technology. (Read the policy brief in Spanish: La importancia del monitoreo diferenciado para proyectos de infraestructura.)

• The response of the Peruvian state to climate change, as assessed by an economic evaluation of the Nationally Determined Contribution - NDC. This research analyses the government’s budget allocation to climate action and its evolution over time, at the national, regional and local level. - Led by economist Kely Alfaro, from the National University of Engineering. (Read the policy brief in Spanish: La respuesta del Estado peruano ante el cambio climático a través de la evaluación económica de las Contribuciones Nacionalmente Determinadas – NDC.)

CDKN is supporting Peru's Ministry of Environment to produce films with highlights of the scientific findings. A communications campaign to share the films widely, like this colourful video on twitter, has begun. Please share widely in your networks.

Image (above right): Andean women, courtesy Vadim Gran