Comments on: Peru’s Politicians Lock Horns with Scientists, Deny Crisis as Water Shortage Looms

By: Barb

Barb — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:54:26 +0000

bshep — Yes, the experts at the conference returned to this theme over and over, and some institutions are making it central to their work in Peru.

Peru’s extreme geography (high mountains, 1000 miles of arid desert, rainforest) and position along the icy Humbolt current has translated into millenia of climate changes which the people have had to cope with. Indigenous people have had to contend with droughts and drastic climate events and thus there is a memory of how to adapt to such changes. Granted, those changes were not as far reaching as today’s rapid climate change is (or is predicted to be), but the scientists and policy experts agreed that the people’s knowledge is a key tool in helping Peru adapt to loss of its glaciers.

By: bshep

bshep — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:30:01 +0000

“recovering traditional knowledge about coping with rapid climate shifts.”

I find it fascinating that this was one of the suggestions. It would be intersting to see the results (if this ever gets done).

By: The July Just Posts « collecting tokens

The July Just Posts « collecting tokens — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:41:37 +0000

[...] Drake of An American in Lima with Peru’s Politicians Lock Horns with Scientists, Deny Crisis as Water Shortage Looms, 250 Children Dead of Cold in Andes: Death Toll Keeps Climbing and Cemetery Dog, Buried City of [...]

By: Cold Spaghetti » Blog Archive » July Just Posts for a Just World

Cold Spaghetti » Blog Archive » July Just Posts for a Just World — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:41:07 +0000

By: Barb

Barb — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:54:20 +0000

Holly, I wish I knew when Durand would consider it a crisis. A few years ago I interviewed Lonnie Thompson about when US officials were going to start taking climate change seriously, and he told me that people generally only “wake up” when the problem is at their front doorstep, that humans tend to wait until the crisis is full-blown. I’d say that Durand and other Lima-based politicians are suffering from the “outta sight, outta mind” problem.

Doug — thanks. I wish that Peru could have welcomed the results of the conference more graciously, but perhaps John and the others were expecting this. I hoping that the 3-yr project that USAID is instigating in Peru will do some significant good and help increase cooperation among stakeholders.

By: Doug Pool

Doug Pool — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:00:19 +0000

Barbara:

You did a great job of capturing the essence of the event and raising the bar to to inform outsiders.

By: Holly

Holly — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 09:49:58 +0000

Thanks for noting this conference. I wonder then when Durand would think it was time to be alarmed?!

Granted, I’m a little jaded after Katrina, but I often feel like these very serious situations are brushed off by officially because they feel that it will only impact the poorest, most vulnerable groups and they secretly wish for a disaster to wipe out these ‘troublesome’ populations. After all, if poverty didn’t exist, then there would be no telling legacy of the error of their policies and programs?

By: Barb

Barb — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 20:22:44 +0000

You’re right that Peru’s politicians are waiting until this thing is a full-blown crisis before taking action. The problem is, waiting until that moment won’t give the country enough preparation time, and this is something that will affect all people, animals and businesses in Peru, not just in one part.

We need to get the message out now that Peru must act and act on a big scale.

By: Marty

Marty — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:33:16 +0000

The differences of opinions by government officials and scientists [especially for abroad] is the different interpretation of a time critical crisis. In my experience, Peruvians do not react to a crisis until the crisis is well underway. Then, it often too little, to late.