Laura Read: Risk & adaptation needs for climate & water resources in rural Andean communitities

Assessing risk and adapta.on needs for climate and water resources protec.on in rural Andean communi.es Laura Read

PhD Candidate, Climber Scien.st

July 13, 2013 Huaraz, Peru

Mo.va.on to be a Climber Scien.st Observa-ons 1. Common regional water problems in rural communi.es 2. Lack of technical knowledge and resources 3. Lack of local data collec.on to “prove climate change”

Scope of Work 1. Work within a group of communi.es to access funding 2. Hold workshops and explore par.cipatory monitoring 3. Test feasibility of a mobile data collec.on system

Scope of work: two projects Project 1: PorMolio of community water problems in the Tres Cuencas Commonwealth • Ac.vi.es: Diagnos.cs of quan.ty and quality issues • Goal 1: Iden.fy common themes to access regional funds • Goal 2: Pilot community scale data collec.on

Project 2: Building capacity to address conflict in Paron • Ac.vi.es: workshops for community percep.ons of water problems and risk; pilo.ng data collec.on • Goal 1: Develop a watershed-­‐scale water management plan • Goal 2: Organize the community to prepare for risk

Project 1: PorMolio of water issues Mo-va-on – Why do this?

• Exposure to regional and interna.onal funds • Understand how water systems are changing at a regional level • Scale projects between communi.es with similar issues

Tres Cuencas Commonwealth • Collec.ve organiza.on of 19 rural communi.es and 8 municipali.es in three watersheds: Santa, Pa.vilca, and Fortaleza rivers • Formed a na.onal en.ty solely to address impacts of climate change on water and land • Lack technical knowledge to receive government funding for adapta.on projects

Project 1: PorMolio of water issues Process – How we do this • Meet with campesina community members and listen to their concerns • Measure water quan.ty and quality in irriga.on canals, reservoirs, springs • Gauge interest in self-­‐ monitoring within the campesina infrastructure

Pilot example: Canrey Chico Concern

1

2

Ac-on

Water supply for irriga.on

Measuring flow in canals

Drinking water during dry season for the popula.on

Explore quality and quan.ty in spring sources; map sources

Water quality for animals

Measuring quality in canals

Loca-on Canrey A Canrey B Canrey C

pH 7 7.2 7.2

Phosphate (ppm) 30 35 25

Nitrate Nitrite 1 0 N/A N/A N/A N/A

Alkalinity (ppm) 40 35 25

Flow (L/s) 0.672 N/A 8.7

Preliminary outcomes • Lack of informa.on is a common theme – Communi.es have a general idea of their problems and what projects they want, but lack of data obstructs progress

• Water for irriga.on is the major concern in 5 of 6 communi.es sampled – Storage and changes in rainfall dura.on – Human and animal health (drinking water) are also cited

Future work: Mobile technology to collect informa.on • Communi.es with high levels of interest and organiza.on afer diagnos.c visits will be chosen to pilot mobile database collec.on project • Goal: community members collect data regularly and send it to the database via 1) text message; 2) hand-­‐wrigen data logs (where cell service is unavailable)

1

What data does the community want to collect?

2

Install basic instruments for collec.on

3

4

Send a text message with the data and an associated code Data is stored on the internet and accesible to the municipality, NGOs, and other organiza.ons

Scope of work: two projects Project 1: PorMolio of community water problems in the Tres Cuencas Commonwealth • Ac.vi.es: Diagnos.cs of quan.ty and quality issues • Goal 1: Iden.fy common themes to access regional funds • Goal 2: Pilot community scale data collec.on

Project 2: Building capacity to address conflict in Paron • Ac.vi.es: workshops for community percep.ons of water problems and risk; pilo.ng data collec.on • Goal 1: Develop a watershed-­‐scale water management system • Goal 2: Organize the community to prepare for risk

Project 2: Capacity and conflict in Paron (Cruz del Mayo Community) Mo-va-on – Why do this?

• Ongoing conflict could escalate as resource availability changes • Community wants to be organized to face challenges (water, conflict, risk) • Water demands are increasing, usage is not “efficient”

Project 2: Capacity and conflict in Paron Process – How we do this • Held two diagnos.c workshops for 1) water; 2) risk percep.on • Follow up field workshop on data collec.on • Introduce community to exis.ng hazards and Peru laws/rights for risk protec.on

Preliminary outcomes: water • Community wants to develop a management plan for all 15 canals • Interested in collec.ng climate and water data • Our group ain gauge, temperature gauge, flow meters expected to be installed

What is the major problem in the % of community with respect to water? total Shortage 48.8 Cost 3.03 Realloca.on of water 21.21 Conflict 27.27 What are the failures of the community, and of you and your families, to resolve these problems?

No agendance at the mee.ngs Disorganiza.on Failure of the dirigentes Failure of all par.es Lack of aJachment Lack of capacity

% of total 13.9 11.4 15.2 11.4 24.1 24.1

From a survey of 45 workshop a=endees

Preliminary outcomes: risk • Risks iden.fied as: avalanche, floods, plagues on crops, animal sickness • Vulnerabili.es as: lack of capacity, organiza.on • Community and mayor formed a civil defense commigee to address physical risks

Con.nuing work in Paron • Watershed op.miza.on model: managing demands

• Pilo.ng mobile data collec.on in Cruz del Mayo

Final Thoughts • Communi.es have a sense of the problems but lack technical data to support claims • Interest in measuring data comes from wan.ng to adapt (needing to) • Irriga.on supply and water quality are emerging major concerns in TCC communi.es • Scaled projects can benefit a group of communi.es, encourage informa.on sharing

Acknowledgements • Cesar Portocarrerro and Marlene Guerrero • The Mountain Ins.tute, Fidel Rodriguez • Daene McKinney, University of Texas • Devyn Powell, Tufs

Pictures on pictures

La Mancomunidad Tres Cuencas (Three Watersheds Commonwealth) • Something something history background Fidel • Organizing together gives small communities greater resources and political power