At this summer's Oxford Adaptation Academy, Dr Carmen Lacambra led participants through a detailed case study of the responses to climate change within Colombia. An exciting publication has just appeared demonstrating similar issues and solutions in the regional partner, Peru. Graham Wilson NB Image source: "Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, License CC-BY-SA 4.0" Orlowsky B, et al (2016) Science in the Context of Climate Change Adaptation: Case Studies from the Peruvian Andes in "Climate Change Adaptation Strategies – An Upstream-downstream Perspective" (eds Salzmann N et al) pp 41-58. Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-40773-9_3 Abstract Within the context of the Climate Change Adaptation Program (PACC), a number of scientific investigations on water resources, natural disasters and perceptions by local people highlight adaptation needs in the regions of Cusco and Apurímac in Peru, considering past, present-day and future climate conditions. This chapter compiles their findings and attempts a systematic evaluation with respect to their contributions to climate change adaptation. The studies consistently find aggravating water scarcity during the dry season (April to September) due to projected precipitation decreases and reduced storage capacity of shrinking glaciers. Impacts include below-capacity hydropower generation and increased crop failure risks. For natural disasters, database inconsistencies prevent a detection of trends. While the natural science studies have produced a new and more comprehensive understanding of the target regions, their implications for society have hardly been investigated anthropologically. One of the few social science studies emphasizes that climate change is only one out of many determinants of rural livelihoods in the target regions, which have not been addressed scientifically yet. We thereby find an imbalance of available scientific knowledge regarding natural vs. social sciences. Overcoming such imbalance would allow for a more comprehensive integration of scientific findings into design and implementation of adaptation measures within the local context. About us Established in 2010, GCAP (http://climateadaptation.cc) ranks among the top 10 leading climate think tanks globally, providing knowledge services related to national adaptation investment and finance, climate economics, climate adaptation strategy and planning and climate risk screening. A world class organisation, we support managers holding over $1 billion in funds. Our flagship, Oxford Adaptation Academy (http://www.climateadaptation.cc/our-work/adaptation-academy), is a unique incubator for leadership and innovation within the field of climate adaptation. Dr Graham Wilson leads the personal development and leadership strand of the Adaptation Academy. With a background in ethology and behavioural science, he is an Executive, Leadership and Political Confidant, Tutor in Psychology and Counselling with the University of Oxford, and Co-Director of the Oxford Adaptation Academy. His research interests include coaching and visual anthropology. [LinkedIn = http://tinyurl.com/drgwli]
