Outlook on climate change adaptation in the Tropical Andes mountains

Roseau

Retreating glaciers Glaciers, recognized as a good indicator of climate change due to their sensitivity to temperature increase, are already experiencing its drastic effects. Climate change is expected to cause increased melting in the future, especially for tropical glaciers (Rabatel et al., 2013) such as those in the Tropical Andes, which range from about 4,000 to 6,500 m altitude. To date, melting has been most prominent in small and low-lying glaciers. The significant melting of tropical glaciers is possibly due to high radiation and moist tropical climate dynamics (Ibid.). Beyond the direct warming of the glaciers by air temperature, precipitation falling as rain instead of snow contributes to melting by reducing the albedo of the glacier surfaces. El Niño events are also associated with reduction in glacier mass, due to the higher temperature and reduced precipitation (Francou et al., 2003; Jeschke, 2009). The Andes contains 99 per cent of the world’s tropical glaciers (Chevallier et al., 2010). This amounts to 0.8 per cent of the world’s glacial area (not including Antarctica) (NCIDS, 2008). The remaining tropical glaciers are located in Africa and New Guinea, with a total area of less than 10 km². The total area of glaciers in the Tropical Andes was 1,920 km² about 10 years ago (Francou and Vincent, 2007), with 71 per cent in Peru, 20 per cent in Bolivia, 4 per cent in Ecuador, and 4 per cent in Colombia-Venezuela (Rabatel et al., 2013). The overall area of glaciers in the Tropical Andes has diminished further since 2007. Glaciers in the Tropical Andes FIGURES

The Tropical Andes eco-regions

Castries

Caracas

VENEZUELA

COLOMBIA

FRENCH GUIANA

SURINAME

Bogota

GUYANA

Equator

Quito

Xeric and seasonally dry montane forest Evergreen montane forest

ECUADOR

PERU

Other forest ecosystems

Grassland ecosystems of the Yungas Puna ecosystems

Shrubs Páramo ecosystems

BRAZIL

Water body Glacier Exposed soil Desert and other xeric ecosystems

Cultural landscape

Lima

BOLIVIA

La Paz

Sucre

PARAGUAY

Tropic of Capricorn

Source: CONDESAN

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