Assessing carbon and water footprints in Andean cities: Comparative study of La Paz, Quito and Lima

The Cities Footprint Project measured the carbon and water footprints of La Paz, Quito, and Lima to support municipal climate mitigation and adaptation. Findings revealed that transport is the primary carbon contributor and residential grey water the primary water footprint driver across all three cities. While the project led to action plans and pilot projects, implementation faced challenges such as administrative changes and data gaps. Success was linked to high-level political will and the presence of internal champions.

• Transport is the largest contributor to the city-wide carbon footprint in all three studied cities, primarily driven by gasoline and diesel emissions.
• The water footprint in La Paz, Quito, and Lima is dominated by the residential sector, with grey water accounting for over 95% of the total, highlighting a critical lack of waste water treatment.
• In absolute terms, Lima has the largest carbon and water footprints of the three cities, though Quito has the highest per capita carbon footprint.
• The three cities are highly vulnerable to climate change due to their reliance on water from retreating Andean glaciers for human consumption, agriculture, and hydropower.
• Project implementation was hindered by several factors, including frequent changes in city administrations, incomplete data, and political friction between national and local governments in La Paz and Quito.
• Successful urban climate compatible development depends on strong high-level political will, the presence of 'internal champions' within municipal governments, and the institutionalisation of data collection processes.

APA

Tejerina, M. R. (2015). Assessing carbon and water footprints in Andean cities: Comparative study of La Paz, Quito and Lima. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/CDKN_Andean_Cities_Inside_Story_final_web_Oct2015.pdf

Chicago

Tejerina, Miguel Rodríguez. Assessing carbon and water footprints in Andean cities: Comparative study of La Paz, Quito and Lima. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2015. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/CDKN_Andean_Cities_Inside_Story_final_web_Oct2015.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tejerina |first1=Miguel Rodríguez |title=Assessing carbon and water footprints in Andean cities: Comparative study of La Paz, Quito and Lima |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=October 2015 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/CDKN_Andean_Cities_Inside_Story_final_web_Oct2015.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tejerina2015assessing, author = {Tejerina, Miguel Rodríguez}, title = {{Assessing carbon and water footprints in Andean cities: Comparative study of La Paz, Quito and Lima}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2015}, month = oct, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/CDKN_Andean_Cities_Inside_Story_final_web_Oct2015.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }