World Climate and Climate Change Adaptation Day

Author: Anddes

Do you know what climate is?​

It refers to the average weather in terms of the mean and its variability over a period or determined time and area. In some cases, these averages could be made for 30 years.

NOAA (2023)

Do you know what climate change is?

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) defines climate change as a change in climate attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and that is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.

What is the main anthropogenic driver of climate change?​

The main driver is the increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (mainly carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and ozone). The main activities generating GHGs include the use of fossil fuels, changes in land use and agriculture.

IPCC (2022)

What does exceeding 1.5° C of global average temperature imply?

Climate models predict robust differences in regional climate characteristics, such as: increased average land and ocean temperature, extreme heat events, intense rainfall and probability of drought and precipitation deficits (IPCC, 2019).

The global average temperature for the last twelve months (March 2023 to February 2024) is the highest on record, standing at 0.68 °C above the 1991-2020 average and 1.56°C above the pre-industrial average of 1850-1900, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union.

What is Peru currently facing?

Coastal El Niño

According to the ENFEN Technical Report N°04-2024 of March 2, 2024, the state of “Coastal El Niño Alert” is still maintained in Peru, given that the Coastal El Niño (Niño 1+2 region) is likely to continue until March, as a consequence of the variability of regional climatic conditions.

Heat waves

In January, the Peruvian coast presented frequent warm conditions towards the end of the month, with prolonged daytime heat waves in the center and south.

Bulletin of Rainfall and Extreme Air Temperatures from MINAM and SENAMHI (2024)

Vulnerability

Peru is the third most vulnerable country to climate change after Bangladesh and Honduras, due to its geographic, ecosystemic characteristics and its great diversity of climates.

Bulletin of Rainfall and Extreme Air Temperatures from MINAM and SENAMHI (2024)

What climate change adaptation measures should be adopted?

  • Include and/or reinforce the analysis and models of the effects of climate change in industrial activities.
  • Use renewable energies.
  • Promote mitigation strategies.
  • Sustainable and enduring industries.
  • Comply with the strategies of the National Adaptation to Climate Change Plan of Peru.
  • Conserve ecosystems, such as those that serve as carbon sinks.

What is Anddes’ contribution in the projects it carries out to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change?​

  • We incorporate environmental criteria in our engineering designs in order to avoid and/or reduce the use of areas with sensitive vegetation cover, such as forests or wetlands, and bodies of water.
  • We optimize the use of resources during the planning of construction and/or operation, such as lower consumption of water and energy, less clearing and earthmoving, which helps to reduce the carbon footprint of the projects.
  • We incorporate the concept of climate change in the design of hydraulic structures for adequate water management.

Author: Anddes