Title
Climatic changes, water systems, and adaptation challenges in Shawi communities in the Peruvian Amazon
Date Issued
01 April 2020
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Publisher(s)
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Abstract
Climate change impacts on water systems have consequences for Indigenous communities. We documented climatic changes on water systems observed by Indigenous Shawi and resultant impacts on health and livelihoods, and explored adaptation options and challenges in partnership with two Indigenous Shawi communities in the Peruvian Amazon. Qualitative data were collected via PhotoVoice, interviews, focus group discussions, and transect walks, and analyzed using a constant comparative method and thematic analysis. Quantitative data were collected via a household survey and analyzed descriptively. Households observed seasonal weather changes over time (n = 50; 78%), which had already impacted their family and community (n = 43; 86%), such as more intense rainfall resulting in flooding (n = 29; 58%). Interviewees also described deforestation impacts on the nearby river, which were exacerbated by climate-related changes, including increased water temperatures (warmer weather, exacerbated by fewer trees for shading) and increased erosion and turbidity (increased rainfall, exacerbated by riverbank instability due to deforestation). No households reported community-level response plans for extreme weather events, and most did not expect government assistance when such events occurred. This study documents how Indigenous peoples are experiencing climatic impacts on water systems, and highlights how non-climatic drivers, such as deforestation, exacerbate climate change impacts on water systems and community livelihoods in the Peruvian Amazon.
Volume
12
Issue
8
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Investigación climática
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85085082640
Source
Sustainability (Switzerland)
ISSN of the container
20711050
Sponsor(s)
Funding: This research was supported by the Indigenous Health Adaptation to Climate Change (IHACC) Program (http://ihacc.ca/), through funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and The International Development Research Center’s International Research Initiative on Adaptation to Climate Change. Funding was also provided by a 2016 Ekosanté Internship Award, a 2015 UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi Research Fellowship, and a 2014 Ekosanté Professional Development Award.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus