The impacts on the regions: Teacher notes These resources look at the impact of climate change in 3 regions. Pupils should be split into regionally focussed groups (suggested size is four) to work through them. The activities on the human impact are: Starter activity Introduction to climate change in the region Meet the Family (how climate change is affecting life in the region) pupils write about people s experiences What is the impact compass rose Responding to climate change your ideas Pupils can work through these activities in groups, before looking at the adaptations. A summary activity is suggested for groups to feedback to the class before moving onto adaptations. Copyright Oxfam GB. You may reproduce this document for educational purposes only. Page 1
Introduction to the Ancash region, Central Peru Look at the picture carefully, and from what you can see (and what you can t) make notes around it of all the things you can say about the area and the people who live there Try to think about things like: The livelihoods of the people The climate What might grow there What life might be like for the people Their connections with the rest of the world Copyright Oxfam GB. You may reproduce this document for educational purposes only. Page 2
Life in the Ancash Region The majority of people in Ancash are farmers. They mainly grow potatoes, supplemented with fruit such as Avocadoes. Traditional forms of irrigation involve flooding fields and letting water drain off. They are reliant on the melt-water from the glaciers in the Cordillera Blanca region of the Andes mountain chain, which has mountains over 6000m high. Communications are difficult, as villages are remote and the mountains are very steep. Families (such as the Tempora family, below) work their crops using a combination of traditional knowledge and modern techniques. Copyright Oxfam GB. You may reproduce this document for educational purposes only. Page 3
Climate change in the Ancash Region Climatologist and water engineer Cesar Portocarrero, 61, by the Pastoruri glacier, Ancash, Peru. A tourist attraction in previous decades, the glacier lost 40 per cent of its ice cap between 1995 and 2005. Cesar: "The Cordillera Blanca glaciers used to cover 720 squared km, but now it only covers 500 squared km, a drop of over 30 per cent. These glaciers feed many river basins, and are vital for agriculture and electrical power. This loss of water is a great hazard for Peru. Personally, I'm more concerned about the impact on the people living here than the loss of a beautiful tourist attraction." The Ancash region is home to the Cordillera Blanca, a 200 km chain of immense mountains which form part of the Peruvian Andes, many of which reach over 6,000 metres high. Peru contains 70 per cent of the world s tropical glaciers, which are particularly sensitive indicators of climate change because their tropical location means melting takes place all year round. Between 1970 and 1997 the Cordillera Blanca is estimated to have lost 22 per cent of its glaciers. The retreating glaciers are releasing more water each year, and in just 15 years most glaciers will disappear altogether. The melt is causing widespread fears of long term water shortages for farmers and communities, who are already experiencing decreasing rainfall. Copyright Oxfam GB. You may reproduce this document for educational purposes only. Page 4
Meet the Tamara Family in Utapampa (Ancash) 1 Elizabeth Tamara Elizabeth Tamara is 10 years old. She is shown here with Nevado Huascaran - the highest mountain in Peru - in the background. Her family are potato farmers, and they live in the high Andes in the Cordillera Blanca area of glaciers. This area of Peru is already affected by glacial retreat. Her community gets its water from glacial meltwater, and so will be greatly affected by diminishing water supplies (especially in summer) due to glacial retreat and warmer temperatures. Human stories of climate change in the Ancash region Locals say the snow and ice on which they depend for their water is decreasing every day. Farmers in this area are experiencing warmer temperatures and less rainfall, as well as an increase in pests and crop disease. Read what the locals say about their experiences of climate change in Ancash Copyright Oxfam GB. You may reproduce this document for educational purposes only. Page 5
"I've lived here ever since I was born, and there used to be tonnes or rain and hail, and it wasn't hot. Now the climate has changed far too much. That's why there isn't as much production - about 90 per cent less. We used to have very tall potato plants, but now they're very small. And we didn't use fertiliser, but now we rely on it. It doesn't matter how well we work our land, we need to use fertiliser and it's extremely expensive." Luis Ernesto Tamara (50), "But suddenly there won't be any snow on the mountain. The water will go with it. Maybe in 20 years, from what I hear. We used to have snowslides every day, but now nothing. The snow used to come to this level, but no more. There are no more avalanches, no more snow. Leoncio Tamara, 77 "We have problems with insects that eat our corn and potatoes. We also have problems with frost which destroys the crops, and small animals that eat the tubers. When my grandfather was alive, these things didn't exist. It's now 22 to 25 degrees in the high areas - it's too hot, and it rains very little." Marino Chilca, 48, Farmer, Shupluy, Ancash "There is less and less water now. Before, when we would irrigate the land, it would last two weeks, now it only lasts four days because the sun is so strong. So we need more water. Water used to come from Huascaran, but now it's coming less and less. The snow on Huascaran is only up, up, up above, and each day it goes further up. Huascaran is dying because of the heat. We don't need water in winter, though there is still less - but we really need water in the summer." Olga Tamara Morales, 38, Think about how Elizabeth would respond to this change? How would she feel? Why? Try to write about it here. Copyright Oxfam GB. You may reproduce this document for educational purposes only. Page 6
Meet the Tamara Family in Utapampa (Ancash) 2 Olga Tamara Morales Olga Tamara Morales is 38 years old. She is shown here with one of the hoes she uses for farming potatoes on the steep Andean slopes. She is a potato farmer, and lives in the high Andes in the Cordillera Blanca area of glaciers. This area of Peru is already affected by glacial retreat. Her community gets its water from glacial meltwater, and so will be greatly affected by diminishing water supplies (especially in summer) due to glacial retreat and warmer temperatures. Human stories of climate change in the Ancash region Locals say the snow and ice on which they depend for their water is decreasing every day. Farmers in this area are experiencing warmer temperatures and less rainfall, as well as an increase in pests and crop disease. Read what the locals say about their experiences of climate change in Ancash Copyright Oxfam GB. You may reproduce this document for educational purposes only. Page 7
"I've lived here ever since I was born, and there used to be tonnes or rain and hail, and it wasn't hot. Now the climate has changed far too much. That's why there isn't as much production - about 90 per cent less. We used to have very tall potato plants, but now they're very small. And we didn't use fertiliser, but now we rely on it. It doesn't matter how well we work our land, we need to use fertiliser and it's extremely expensive." Luis Ernesto Tamara (50), "But suddenly there won't be any snow on the mountain. The water will go with it. Maybe in 20 years, from what I hear. We used to have snowslides every day, but now nothing. The snow used to come to this level, but no more. There are no more avalanches, no more snow. Leoncio Tamara, 77 "We have problems with insects that eat our corn and potatoes. We also have problems with frost which destroys the crops, and small animals that eat the tubers. When my grandfather was alive, these things didn't exist. It's now 22 to 25 degrees in the high areas - it's too hot, and it rains very little." Marino Chilca, 48, Farmer, Shupluy, Ancash "There is less and less water now. Before, when we would irrigate the land, it would last two weeks, now it only lasts four days because the sun is so strong. So we need more water. Water used to come from Huascaran, but now it's coming less and less. The snow on Huascaran is only up, up, up above, and each day it goes further up. Huascaran is dying because of the heat. We don't need water in winter, though there is still less - but we really need water in the summer." Olga Tamara Morales, 38, Think about how Olga would respond to this change? How would she feel? Why? Try to write about it here. Copyright Oxfam GB. You may reproduce this document for educational purposes only. Page 8
Meet the Tamara Family in Utapampa (Ancash) 3 Luis Ernesto Tamara Luis Ernesto Tamara is 50 years old. He is shown here with a sack of potatoes and tools he uses to dig them on the steep Andean slopes. He is a potato farmer, and lives in the high Andes in the Cordillera Blanca area of glaciers. This area of Peru is already affected by glacial retreat. His community gets its water from glacial meltwater, and so will be greatly affected by diminishing water supplies (especially in summer) due to glacial retreat and warmer temperatures. Human stories of climate change in the Ancash region Locals say the snow and ice on which they depend for their water is decreasing every day. Farmers in this area are experiencing warmer temperatures and less rainfall, as well as an increase in pests and crop disease. Read what the locals say about their experiences of climate change in Ancash Copyright Oxfam GB. You may reproduce this document for educational purposes only. Page 9
"I've lived here ever since I was born, and there used to be tonnes or rain and hail, and it wasn't hot. Now the climate has changed far too much. That's why there isn't as much production - about 90 per cent less. We used to have very tall potato plants, but now they're very small. And we didn't use fertiliser, but now we rely on it. It doesn't matter how well we work our land, we need to use fertiliser and it's extremely expensive." Luis Ernesto Tamara (50), "But suddenly there won't be any snow on the mountain. The water will go with it. Maybe in 20 years, from what I hear. We used to have snowslides every day, but now nothing. The snow used to come to this level, but no more. There are no more avalanches, no more snow. Leoncio Tamara, 77 "We have problems with insects that eat our corn and potatoes. We also have problems with frost which destroys the crops, and small animals that eat the tubers. When my grandfather was alive, these things didn't exist. It's now 22 to 25 degrees in the high areas - it's too hot, and it rains very little." Marino Chilca, 48, Farmer, Shupluy, Ancash "There is less and less water now. Before, when we would irrigate the land, it would last two weeks, now it only lasts four days because the sun is so strong. So we need more water. Water used to come from Huascaran, but now it's coming less and less. The snow on Huascaran is only up, up, up above, and each day it goes further up. Huascaran is dying because of the heat. We don't need water in winter, though there is still less - but we really need water in the summer." Olga Tamara Morales, 38, Think about how Luis would respond to this change? How would he feel? Why? Try to write about it here. Copyright Oxfam GB. You may reproduce this document for educational purposes only. Page 10
Meet the Tamara Family in Utapampa (Ancash) 3 Leoncio Tamara Leandro Leoncio Tamara Leandro is 77 years old. He is shown here with Nevado Huascaran - the highest mountain in Peru in the background. He is a potato farmer, and lives in the high Andes in the Cordillera Blanca area of glaciers. This area of Peru is already affected by glacial retreat. His community gets its water from glacial melt-water, and so will be greatly affected by diminishing water supplies (especially in summer) due to glacial retreat and warmer temperatures. Human stories of climate change in the Ancash region Locals say the snow and ice on which they depend for their water is decreasing every day. Farmers in this area are experiencing warmer temperatures and less rainfall, as well as an increase in pests and crop disease. Read what the locals say about their experiences of climate change in Ancash Copyright Oxfam GB. You may reproduce this document for educational purposes only. Page 11
"I've lived here ever since I was born, and there used to be tonnes or rain and hail, and it wasn't hot. Now the climate has changed far too much. That's why there isn't as much production - about 90 per cent less. We used to have very tall potato plants, but now they're very small. And we didn't use fertiliser, but now we rely on it. It doesn't matter how well we work our land, we need to use fertiliser and it's extremely expensive." Luis Ernesto Tamara (50), "But suddenly there won't be any snow on the mountain. The water will go with it. Maybe in 20 years, from what I hear. We used to have snowslides every day, but now nothing. The snow used to come to this level, but no more. There are no more avalanches, no more snow. Leoncio Tamara, 77 "We have problems with insects that eat our corn and potatoes. We also have problems with frost which destroys the crops, and small animals that eat the tubers. When my grandfather was alive, these things didn't exist. It's now 22 to 25 degrees in the high areas - it's too hot, and it rains very little." Marino Chilca, 48, Farmer, Shupluy, Ancash "There is less and less water now. Before, when we would irrigate the land, it would last two weeks, now it only lasts four days because the sun is so strong. So we need more water. Water used to come from Huascaran, but now it's coming less and less. The snow on Huascaran is only up, up, up above, and each day it goes further up. Huascaran is dying because of the heat. We don't need water in winter, though there is still less - but we really need water in the summer." Olga Tamara Morales, 38, Think about how Leoncio would respond to this change? How would he feel? Why? Try to write about it here. Copyright Oxfam GB. You may reproduce this document for educational purposes only. Page 12
Task: What is the Impact? Read back through each of the statements about people s experiences of the changing climate. With a coloured pen or pencil, circle or underline all the changes they discuss. In your group, then put these into the categories in the development compass, below: Source: The Development Compass Rose, Development Education Centre, Birmingham, 1995 Copyright Oxfam GB. You may reproduce this document for educational purposes only. Page 13
The Development Compass Task - What is the Impact in Peru? North = Nature impacts on the environment West = Who Decides to do with politics and power East = Economic impacts on livelihoods & income South = Social impacts on people and communities Copyright Oxfam GB. You may reproduce this document for educational purposes only. Page 14
Responding to Climate Change in Peru When you have finished, you need to think of what the solutions could be How could people locally adapt to the changes you have just discussed, and lessen the impacts? Use the sheet Adapting to climate change in Peru your ideas, and as a group come up with some ideas about possible responses. When you have finished this activity, you can look at what the adaptations have been in Peru. There are 4 adaptations in each of the 3 areas, so you can split these up to look at in your groups. Copyright Oxfam GB. You may reproduce this document for educational purposes only. Page 15
TASK: Adaptation in Peru - your ideas Activity 1 Working in your family group, make a list of SIX things you think you family and their local community could do (with support if necessary) to help adapt to the problems for the area they live in. 1) Activity 2 Using your list of six adaptations, decide which are the PRIORITIES (most important) put them in the hierarchy table below. Highest priority 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Lowest priority Copyright Oxfam GB. You may reproduce this document for educational purposes only. Page 16