Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change in High Mountain Areas of the Andean Region: Regional Synthesis

This document presents the most important contributions of a study produced for the Andean Mountain Initiative (IAM) with the purpose of contributing to the regional, national and local processes of adaptation to climate change of high Andean communities and ecosystems. The study, “Vulnerability and adaptation to climate change in high mountain areas of the Andean region: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela,” offers a regional vision of key elements for decision-making regarding climate change. adaptation, through the analysis of available information on vulnerability to climate change in hydrographic basins and at the Andean continental level. Special emphasis is placed on economic activities such as agriculture, livestock and tourism, the main local livelihoods, and their relationship with water resources in high Andean areas.

The study analyzes seven basins, one for each country, which have been selected and characterized in coordination with the focal points of the IAM member countries. It includes a situational diagnosis and recommendations for reducing climate vulnerability in the Andes, as well as the identification of knowledge gaps and priority work topics for adaptation in the region.