Scaling up climate adaptation and resilience in the Andes

A new project to build regional capacity and resilience to climate variability and change in the Andes has been approved. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is providing CHF 5.8 million in funding for ENANDES+, which will scale up the ENANDES project, currently being implemented by WMO through the Adaptation Fund.

ENANDES+ will support six of seven Andean countries in their climate adaptation and resilience efforts, with SDC’s contribution adding Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador to the three original ENANDES countries, Chile, Colombia and Peru. The project will also involve all WMO regional institutions in South America, including the Regional Climate Centres for South and West of South America, and the Regional Training Centres in Peru and Argentina.

MeteoSwiss will contribute to the project, mainly through knowledge and expertise sharing.

“Switzerland has been present in the region for over half a century. We are committed to facing the climate crisis in the region, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda, by strengthening, contributing to, and promoting the scaling up of existing capacities for the provision of Weather, Water and Climate services in the region for adequate adaptation to climate variability and change,” said Anton Hilber, Director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Peru and the greater Andean Region.

“We are aware of the urgent need for joint action beyond national borders, and that’s why we are contributing to the Adaptation Fund ENANDES project being implemented by WMO. Through this contribution, we hope to increase climate resilience efforts of three additional Latin American countries. This includes the strengthening of their capacity in providing climate services to the most vulnerable end-users and communities,” said Mr Huber.

The presence and influence of the Andes, the most important mountain range in the Southern Hemisphere, creates a large variety of climatic and environmental conditions in the Andean countries of South America, not only in the mountainous zones but also in its slopes and surrounding areas. Andean countries share distinctive climate, environmental and cultural characteristics that have led the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to recognize them as particularly vulnerable to climate change.

The ENANDES+ project has three main objectives:

• To improve the capacity of society and communities in the six participating Andean countries to adapt to a variable and changing climate, and contribute to reducing disaster risks associated with hydroclimatic hazards;
• To strengthen the resilience of communities and productive sectors to hydroclimatic hazards, empowering social actors and institutions in each country to mitigate the negative impacts of extreme weather events and climate variability and change through the co-design and implementation of local adaptation practices based on the use of WWC information and services; and
• To improve coordination and planning among participating country institutions, WMO regional institutions, and other partners to maximize positive synergies and increase the efficiency of the combined projects, facilitating future scaling and replication in other contexts.

It is anticipated that the project will improve capabilities to produce Weather, Water and Climate (WWC) services and information by delivering on three expected outcomes:

(i) reduce the adverse impacts of hydroclimatic hazards;

(ii) take advantage of the benefits of favorable conditions; and

(iii) enhance adaptation to changing weather and climate contexts.

Filipe Lúcio, WMO Director of Member Services and Development stated, “ENANDES+ highlights the importance of collaborative work between countries in the region, international and regional partners. Building on experiences from projects like CLIMANDES in Peru, and the ongoing ENANDES project, ENANDES+ will continue to scale up the provision of climate services to local communities in the Andes.  From now on, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador will also be part of the collective efforts towards a more climate resilient region.

In Argentina and Bolivia, an early warning system for flash flood warnings in the binational area of the Pilcomayo River Basin will be developed, allowing for a unique transnational approach to improve climate resilience and adaptation in the region. In Ecuador, the National Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (INAMHI) will work in the upper Pastaza River basin to produce frost warnings for small-scale family farms, and hydrometeorological forecasts to support the management of hydroelectric power plants.  In Peru, the National Meteorological and Hydrological Service will work with MeteoSwiss and WMO regional centres to ensure technical knowledge is available and equally distributed amongst project stakeholders.

The project was officially launched in November 2022 and is set to close in October 2026.