Proceedings of the International Network on Climate Change (INCA) 2012

The International Network on Climate Change - INCA - is a project of Bolivian, Peruvian and German partners on adaptation and mitigation strategies of Andean people. The proceedings of the joint Summer-School 2012 comprise a complete overview of the project, a summary of the presentations held during this event and the results achieved so far.

The publication reports on research into adaptation and mitigation strategies in the Andes, with a focus on food security and agro-forestry, changes in land-use and land cover and strategies for managing these systems in a changing climate. 

Results

Initial results of the INCA project, based on research in the Achamayo Watershed in Peru, include:

• A study of the perception of local people towards the development of climate over the last 10 years
• An analysis via satellite images and field research on land use cover/change since 1921
• An assessment of the adaptation strategies available and used by small-scale farmers

Project results show that farmers are well aware of the ongoing changes in weather patterns, signaling the occurrence of frosts and heavy rainfall as main causes of agricultural loss. The decrease of water springs during dry season was reported to have a direct impact on the livestock which rely on natural grasslands as main fodder source. The analysis of land use cover change supported this former statement, reporting severe grasslands degradation, with 21.26% decrease of the “high density grassland” land cover since 1921. Concrete strategies to forecast, disperse and mitigate the climatic risk were identified.

Ongoing research within the INCA project applies modeling techniques for assessing the development of farming systems under potential climate change scenarios and the consequences of the resulting land use mosaics on economical utilities (food security and income) and environmental services.

INCA Proceedings 2012

• Full "INCA Proceedings 2012" booklet