AYNINACUY: Strengthening the livelihoods of vulnerable highland communities in the provinces of Arequipa, Caylloma, Condesuyos, Castilla and La Union in the Region of Arequipa, Peru

In Peru raising Andean camelids is the main livelihood among the highland communities, whose population engaged in this activity, is estimated to be approximately 1.5 million. Camelid producing areas in Peru include the provinces with the highest levels of poverty and marginalization. Due to the impacts of climate change, the activity of raising camelids by vulnerable Andean highlands communities in Peru has been being severely affected, with cyclical annual losses in thousands of heads of camelids, which threatens the sustainability of these communities’ principal livelihood.

Within the Peruvian territory the effects of climate change also differ, by region and socioeconomic levels, and, in the distribution of negative climate impacts, the rural poor of highland mountain ecosystems will bear the brunt of these changes. In these areas, glacier retreat has reduced the availability of water and has led to the desertification and soil degradation.  While drought, cold spells, and frost are phenomena that have always been present in many regions, like the case of Arequipa, Peru, the effects of climate variability have resulted in these phenomena recently being more frequent and intense at these altitudes. Consequently, this intensification is causing severe damage to this region’s fragile environment, affecting one of its most vulnerable population groups, located in the high Andean mountains. In particular, this has an impact on the health and survival of camelid herds, in the main, alpacas, which are essential for their subsistence.

The project objective is to reduce vulnerability and increase adaptive capacity to respond to the impacts of climate change of the highland Andean peasant communities in the provinces of Arequipa, Caylloma, Castilla, La Union, and Condesuyos.

This specific outcomes this project works to achieve are:

• Strengthening of the institutional capacity to reduce the risks associated with climate-induced socioeconomic and environmental losses
• Strengthened awareness and ownership of adaptation and climate risk reduction processes at local level
• Increased ecosystem resilience in response to climate change and variability-induced stress
• Strengthened livelihoods and sources of income for vulnerable populations in targeted areas

Project Documents