The glaciers project

Creation of new green areas, Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas, Protection of natural ecosystems, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Strategy, plan or policy development

The city is located below Lake Palcacocha which is surrounded by the imposing white peaks of two glaciers in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca. A temperature rise of 0.5-0.8C between the 1970s and the 2000s has seen a third of Peru’s ice caps vanish in the last four decades. Around 50,000 people live in the danger zone of the lake which now bears the brunt of the glacial meltwater and subsequently of climate change. Glacial melt is disrupting water flow and quality, posing a threat to the flora and fauna that rely on freshwater environments. In 2011, Huaraz, along with other cities and towns in Peru, was included in a project that aimed at sustainable watershed management in glacial mountain ecosystems. More precisely the project addressed the following goals: 1. To protect fragile high-altitude freshwater ecosystems 2. To protect and restore wetlands by replanting native species, protecting grassland and forests around important spring water resources, fencing tributaries for restoration of vegetation, and planting native species on water banks to protect water resources 3. To train smallholder farmers to carry out sustainable farming practices including the sustainable use of water 4. To build and strengthen capacities for adaptation to climate change and the reduction of risks associated with the retreat of the glacier while taking advantage of the opportunities to manage its water resources - flood hazards and landslides 5. To promote climate-resilient livelihood strategies in combination with income diversification and strengthening capacity for planning and better risk management 6. To impact public policy (institutional and financial sustainability) (1,2,3)

The intervention started to be implemented in 2011 and it had 2 phases: the first phase of the project took place between November 2011 and August 2015. It aimed to strengthen operational technical capacities in glacier monitoring and research to bring scientific knowledge closer to surrounding communities and provide information for their adaptation and vulnerability reduction. Likewise, facilitate the institutional conditions that guarantee the sustainability of such actions in the framework of adaptation to climate change. Efforts on risk reduction and climate change adaptation in the intervention zones of Ancash and Cusco and since this second phase also the Cañete basin in the region of Lima were continued and an additional focus has been drawn on opportunities provided by glacier shrinkage and lake formation for energy production, domestic supply, agriculture and tourism. In the second phase of the Glaciers Project, which ended in 2019 it was expected to consolidate the progress made in the first; in order to scale up successful measures, and continue to innovate strategies and intervention mechanisms. Throughout the 2 phases, a number of workshops were organised as well as vegetation cleaning and restoration, reforestation (in 2016, 20 km from Huaraz) and wetland reconstruction. (1,2,6)

• Local government/Municipality
• Researchers/University
• Citizens or community groups
• Young people and children
• Marginalized groups: Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed)