Between the threat of desertification and the effects of climate change
Climate change has been and will be especially significant for its effects in Latin America and the Caribbean, but in the case of Peru, it is one of the most affected countries due to the impact of the most varied hydrometeorological phenomena related to El Niño.
Peru has a very valuable ecological wealth and climatic megadiversity by having 27 of the 32 climates of the world, for this reason is that any damage to the environment in Peru consequently harms the entire ecological balance of the planet.
In Peru, these hydrometeorological phenomena, such as the prolonged absence of rain, torrential rain, frost and hail, have increased more than six times from 1997 to 2006. It is evident that extreme climatic events such as droughts and floods, caused by the El Niño phenomenon, are occurring with greater frequency and intensity. This reality shows that climate change is not a foreign phenomenon, but influences the economy of the country and the life of each of its inhabitants.
Climate change, in addition to the direct impact on the environment by damaging crops, also affects health, the economy and various aspects of human life and society.
According to the Tyndall Center in England, Peru is the third country most vulnerable to climate change after Bangladesh and Honduras.
It is estimated that climate change will increase by 2 ° C on average, with a range of 1 ° C to 5,8 ° C depending on latitude and location. This will increase the frequency of floods and droughts in some areas. It will also increase the sea level, which will rise in an average range of 50 cm, oscillating between 15 cm and 90 cm.
In the medium term, it is predicted that Peru will suffer various negative effects due to climate change:
- Loss of 22% of the glacier surface area, which at the same time is the 71% of the world's tropical glaciers. In concrete terms this means around 500 km², so this decrease represents 7.000 million cubic meters of water, equivalent to the consumption of all Lima for a period of 10 years.
- Danger of extinction of biodiverse flora and fauna in the Amazon.
- Loss of crops vulnerable to climate change such as corn, potatoes and rice, which are part of the Peruvian basic family basket.
- Destruction of the road infrastructure. It is estimated that an 89% of Peru's road infrastructure is highly vulnerable to weather events.
- It is projected that in 40 years Peru would have the 60% of the water it has today.
- Intensification of forest fires and the expansion of pests that affect crops.
- The distribution map of the biological communities will be modified, due to the change in living conditions in the areas that currently house them.
Desertification
Desertification is the degradation of the land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. It is a worrying reality, because the land stores three times more carbon than vegetation, which means that they are the largest storage of terrestrial carbon.
Every year 300 million tons of carbon are released due to desertification, equivalent to 4% of global CO2 emissions. The main human activities that cause desertification are overcropping, which depletes the soil, and overgrazing, which destroys the vegetation layer. On the other hand, there is deforestation and the faulty drainage of irrigation water in the fields.
Currently, more than 6.000 million hectares, equivalent to 40% of the planet's surface, are classified as arid zones, and 20 millions of hectares of arable land are lost every year. This situation directly affects the well-being and the future of a sixth of the world's population.
Peru is one of the countries most vulnerable to desertification, due to the fact that its arid zones are equivalent to one third of the national territory, and they account for only 2% of annual rainfall.
Paradoxically, despite this, approximately 90% of the population is settled in this area and most of the agricultural, industrial and mining activity is concentrated.
Source: Blueberrieschile.cl - Blueberriesconsulting.com
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