CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR AGRICULTURE IN PERU

The report examines the vulnerability of Peru's agricultural sector to climate hazards, particularly in the Junín and Piura regions. It identifies El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) as a primary driver of droughts, floods, and frost, which significantly impact crop yields for maize, potatoes, and fruits. While Peru has established disaster risk management (SINAGERD) and climate change frameworks (MINAM), the report finds a lack of formal coordination between these two communities and gaps in localized climate data. Key recommendations include reviving ancestral agricultural practices, improving irrigation and water storage, diversifying livelihoods, and integrating disaster risk management with climate change adaptation into a single national programme.

• Interannual climate variability in Peru is primarily driven by the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which triggers hazards such as droughts, floods, and frost.
• Observed temperatures across most of Peru increased by 0.2°C per decade between 1965 and 2006, and glaciers have decreased in surface area by 22% over the last 35 years.
• National projections for 2030 indicate temperature increases of approximately 1.6°C in the northern Andes and Amazon, with precipitation reductions of 10% to 20% projected for the Andes.
• In the Mantaro River basin, frost and 'veranillos' (meteorological droughts) significantly reduce yields for potatoes and maize; for example, a 2007 frost event reduced potato and maize yields by an average of 12.8% and 13.5% respectively.
• In the Piura River basin, positive ENSO phases are associated with yield reductions of 20% or more for rice, cotton, and mangoes, while mangoes are particularly sensitive to temperature variations between June and August.
• Peru's climate monitoring infrastructure is limited by the fact that over 1,100 weather stations are managed by different entities, are geographically concentrated, and are mostly read manually.
• Local communities in Junín and Piura lack sufficient adaptive capacity due to poverty, environmental degradation, and a lack of adequate governance and institutional structures.
• There is a significant lack of formal coordination and operationalized mechanisms between Peru's disaster risk management agencies (INDECI and CENEPRED) and the climate change adaptation community (MINAM).
• To manage agricultural risks, the report recommends improving irrigation, using organic fertilizers, diversifying crops, and implementing weather-based insurance mechanisms.

APA

Keller, M., & Echeverria, D. (2013). CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR AGRICULTURE IN PERU. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_peru.pdf

Chicago

Keller, Marius, and Daniella Echeverria. CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR AGRICULTURE IN PERU. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2013. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_peru.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Keller |first1=Marius |last2=Echeverria |first2=Daniella |title=CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR AGRICULTURE IN PERU |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=January 2013 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_peru.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{keller2013climate, author = {Keller, Marius and Echeverria, Daniella}, title = {{CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR AGRICULTURE IN PERU}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2013}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_peru.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }