11. Online Project Nomination Form
Email Address
jrecharte@mountain.org
FromPrivSec
on
NameOfGroup
The Mountain Institute (TMI)
NameOfFocalPoint TMI Peru
Title
Climate Adaptation in Mountain Basins in the Andean Region (CAMBIAR)
Program
StreetAddress
Baltazar La Torre 370, Of 3
City
San Isidro, Lima
StateProvReg
Ancash
Country
Peru
PostalCode
NA
PhoneBusiness
7192570
PhoneMobile
PhoneFax
The Mountain Institute (TMI) has been working in the Peruvian Andes for the last
15 years. The Andean Program has helped communities rehabilitate sections of the
Inca Road to support local tourism initiatives, developed water quality monitoring
training programs for rural Quechua communities affected by mining, created
sustainable development opportunities to help communities protect alpine
wetlands, and helped communities restore and manage endemic alpine forests. In
the course of its work, TMI recognized that in order to meet its mission to protect
mountains through empowering mountain communities and conserving mountain
ecosystems, the threats of climate change would have to be addressed.
1 - Description
In 2009, TMI launched the Peaks to Coast Program that seeks to increase the
capacities of stakeholders to adopt effective adaptive climate change response,
design practical mechanisms to build resilience, and implement strategic remedial
actions. One of the major obstacles to increasing climate change resilience is a lack
of resources or organization at the local-level to identify and implement effective
solutions. TMI has led a two-pronged approach to help bridge that gap. First, TMI
has helped municipalities in the region form the Tres Cuencas Commonwealth
(TCC). The Commonwealth is a local governmental organization in Ancash, Peru
with a Board of Directors made up of mayors from 25 member municipalities and
the governors of two Provinces. One of TCC’s objectives is to promote programs
and projects for adaptation to the impacts of climate change and the TCC will be
able to access national funds to implement projects. Second, TMI will continue to
work with Campesina Communities within the TCC to identify local solutions that
will help rural communities improve their resilience to climate change. With the
involvement of the municipal mayors in the TCC, the communities will then have a
pathway to access governmental support for their identified projects.
To help accomplish the goals of the Peaks to Coast Program, TMI has entered into
a memorandum of understanding that includes the Tres Cuencas Commonwealth
and the Greater Austin Chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB-AUS). The
MOU supports the Climate Adaptation in Mountain Basins in the Andean Region
(CAMBIAR) Program. Under this Program, TMI, TCC, and EWB-AUS will work
with each of the communities in the TCC to identify specific water issues.
Volunteer subject matter experts from EWB-AUS will work with the communities
to define their needs and identify potential solutions. These solutions may become
successful pilots that can be replicated in other communities around the
Commonwealth and the Andean region.
2 - MainPartners
The partners for this program are The Mountain Institute in Peru, a NGO in the
global south, the Greater Austin Chapter of Engineers Without Borders, an
American non-profit organization, and the Mancomunidad Municipal Tres
Cuencas, a newly formed local government organization representing 25
municipalities in Ancash that are specifically concerned with climate change
adaptation.
The details of this partnership are outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding
which is included as an attachment to this nomination.
The CAMBIAR Program is expected to impact over 50,000 residents of the
Mancomunidad Municipal Tres Cuencas. On average, these individuals are low
income, earning about 60% of the median national income. They live in rural areas
or small towns with fewer than 2,000 residents. The vast majority of the population
is predominately ethnically Quechua- the largest per-Columbian group in Peru
which has historically been disenfranchised.
The primary impact of the CAMBIAR Program will to improve livelihoods,
increase resilience to climate change, improve the environment and health. The
first pilot program identified under CAMBIAR will increase annual revenue for the
Campesina Comunidada de Huasta by up to $17,000 a year. This will be achieved
by irrigating currently disused communal pasture land and increasing agriculture
output. The revenue will be shared by the Campesina Communidad representing
an 8% increase in monthly revenue per household.
3 - Achievements
Additionally, the project, which will recycle wastewater for pasture irrigation, will
help the community store and transport water for use in an improved irrigation
method. The communities of the Tres Cuencas Commonwealth rely on glacial melt
for fresh water for domestic and agriculture use. However, accelerated glacial melt
has made this source less predictable in the short run, and in the long run it is
unclear if there will be sufficient melt to sustain the traditional way of life in this
region. Implementing water storage and irrigation methods that conserve water are
going to be important to help these communities adapt to climate change. Finally,
the Program will promote water conservation and healthy water practices. With
increased water scarcity, the incidence of water borne illnesses increase and
environmental conditions suffer. Improved water conservation will help ensure that
sufficient supplies exist to maintain hygiene practices and support downstream
ecosystems.
The solutions and pilots implemented under this program will be the property of
local groups. In the case of the fist pilot, the municipality and the Campesina
Community will work together to maintain the waste water treatment facility and
the irrigation system. The project will create a linkage between these two entities
and jointly build their capacity. The capacity of the Tres Cuencas Commonwealth
will also be strengthened as it as able to fulfill its mission and utilize national
funds.
The program supports several of the Millennium Development Goals and their
targets. By maintaining and improving livelihoods in spite of climate change fewer
individuals and families will suffer the effects of poverty. Fewer people will suffer
hunger in the future if agriculture methods are improved to withstand climate
change. Conservation and improved water use will help the Tres Cuencas region
maintain access to clean drinking water.
In time the Program will transition and be fully managed and operated by the
Mancomunidad Municipal Tres Cuencas. To achieve this long-term outcome, TMI
and EWB-AUS will work with the Mancomunidad to build its capacity and support
the success of its early pilots. Planned capacity building includes expanding the
staff, establishing a permanent office, and establishing good and appropriate
management and financial practices.
4 - Sustainability
In addition, all of the pilots will be owned and managed by local entities or
organizations. When possible, linkages will be created between two or more local
organizations to increase accountability and lay a cooperative precedent.
Finally, the project will all consider financial sustainability after
implementation. The owning organizations will be asked to address their ongoing
financial commitments in an agreement prior to implementation.
5 - Innovation
The Program supports the Peruvian national trend toward decentralization. While
decentralization is theoretically credited with improved outcomes, capacity is a
major obstacle. In this Program, two organizations have partnered with a new local
governmental organization to build capacity and develop programs. Now,
communities and local governments have a venue to participate in addressing the
serious threat of climate change at the level of implementation. The
Commonwealth also serves as the nexus for a community of practice. Information
about successful pilots and best practices can be shared within the Commonwealth
and more broadly through national channels and the other program partners.
6 - Replicability
There are several different ways in which the Program is replicable and scalable.
First, the notion of a decentralized governmental entity designed to address very
specific local needs is a model with great potential to empower local governments
and community organizations. The specific model that this program has taken with
its NGO and non-profit partners is an excellent example of inter-organizational
cooperation which is also replicable. Creating an organization or entity to share
best practices is also a replicable element of this Program. The model for
identifying and developing projects that is driven and owned by community
members is also replicable. Finally, the specific pilots that emerge as part of this
program will also be replicable. For example, the first project will recycle effluent
from a small wastewater treatment facility to be used in pasture irrigation. There
are a number of rural wastewater treatment facilities that have been constructed
around Peru and larger cities in the nation are also investing in massive wastewater
recycling projects. With these national trends and an increased emphases on water
conservation we expect that this project will be replicable and scalable around that
country and in any other site where similar circumstances exist.
Income-generation: How the initiative benefited disadvantaged groups (e.g.,
women’s’ groups, indigenous peoples, rural communities, etc.)?
7 - Contribution
The program will help ensure incomes by helping communities meet the
change of climate change. Communities will develop and implement
projects that help them store and conserve water which will be used for
agriculture and consumption.
Infrastructure development: What contribution has the initiative made to
affordable alternative energy sources, creation of new information systems,
provision of other infrastructure?
Water storage, transportation, and irrigation systems will be developed as a
result of this program. This infrastructure will be locally owned and
maintained and the local communities will identify and develop the
solutions. Design innovations will allow the systems to be sustainable and
appropriate.
Social inclusion: How are the solutions geared towards uplifting disadvantaged
groups, women, youth and poor communities? How has the initiative had an impact
on small and medium-sized enterprises and community group projects?
The projects will target local communities in the Tres Cuencas
Commonwealth, all of which live well below the average Peruvian and are
members of historically disenfranchised groups. Community groups will
own the projects, be invested in their success, and partner with other local
and regional organizations to maintain and sustain them.
Outreach: How the solutions had an impact on changing peoples’ attitudes,
lifestyles and understanding (e.g., regarding HIV/AIDS, agricultural innovations,
changes of education curriculum, human rights, etc.)?
TMI has worked hard on the Peaks to Coast Program to create greater
awareness of climate change and the importance of adaptation at the local
level. They have worked specifically with the Campesina Communities and
women’s groups and helped the Tres Cuencas Commonwealth reach
municipal leaders with this message. As a result, the average community
member is very well informed about climate change, aware of the problems
that it poses, and are looking forward to working toward solutions.
Networks: How the initiative provided solutions that link various individual groups,
organizations and government through networks (e.g., scientists and governments
to address a particular issue; NGOs; women groups)?
The Program is being executed by a network of local government, NGOs,
and international non-profit organizations. Each of the projects within the
program will link these groups to communities, municipal governments, and
others including the private sector and other civil society organizations. The
infrastructure resulting from the projects will continue to obligate these
partners to one another in order to maintain accountability.
Environment: How the solutions contributed to conservation, management of
natural resources (e.g., sustainable forest management), pollution mitigation,
minimization or combating of poaching of wildlife, etc.?
The projects are all concentrated on water conservation for climate change
adaptation. This conservation will benefit people who utilize and consume
water as well as eco systems downstream from conserving communities.
Global health: How environmental, societal and life-style factors create an impact
on health? What are the challenges the community and individuals are faced with
to come up with practical and sustainable solutions?
From a public health prospective, it is important to address potential water
shortages before they occur. This will prevent food shortages and nutrition
problems, and can also prevent an increase of waterborne illness as
hygiene deteriorates in times of shortages. This program seeks to help the
people of the Tres Cuencas Commonwealth avoid these negative
consequences of climate change.
Agriculture & Food security: How the solutions help poor and developing
countries take advantage of advanced agricultural technology, innovation and
knowledge systems to explore new ways of helping vulnerable rural communities?
The initial pilot project will include improved irrigation techniques. Currently,
most farmers and herders in the Andean region of Peru convey water in
open canals and use flood irrigation. In the process, a great deal of water is
lost to evaporation. Piped conveyance and sprinklers of drip irrigation will
help the communities demonstrate a significant conservation gain of 40% to
70%, depending on climate.
8 - Awareness
To date, information about the Program has been archived on the Greater Austin
Chapter of Engineers Without Border’s website
(http://ewbgreateraustin.org/projects/peru). Other information has been presented
in public forums, conferences, and community meetings. Mention of the Program
has also occurred in local news.
In the future, the Tres Cuencas Commonwealth
9 - Other