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Changing hydrology in particular will influence
many industry sectors, although industry also relies
on the forests and biodiversity in the Andes for
pharmaceutical products, food and raw materials.
Mining is a key economic activity in the Tropical
Andes, which relies heavily on water resources for
production. Mining competes for water resources
along with agriculture, other industries and human
settlements. In areas where water becomes scarce,
effective management systems become increasingly
necessary. Competition for water resources has
previously led to protests and vocal conflicts in some
places. For example, around the Yanacocha mine in
the north of Peru, the second largest gold mine in the
world, farming communities came into conflict with
the mining company regarding control over water
flow (Bebbington and Williams, 2008).
Tourism is also an important industry in the
mountains, with many tourists drawn by the
Andean mountains’ unique ecosystems and
landscapes. Ecotourism and adventure tourism are
particularly dependent on sustainable management
and protection of key ecosystems. Cloud forests,
páramos, glaciers and river systems will all be
affected by climate change, which in turn will affect
the tourism industry. Studies in the region also
indicate that tourism generally has a negative direct
impact on biodiversity (Barros et al., 2014). Tourism
is therefore another stressor on ecosystems, but
through effective management, tourism can often
help finance the protection of ecosystems and the
services they provide.
Industry
Yanacocha gold mine, Cajamarca region, Peru