Enhancing Adaptive Capacity of Andean Communities through the Implementation of Climate Services Value Chain.

Significant trends in precipitation and temperature have been observed in South America, including changes in climate variability and extreme events. Such trends are projected to continue in the future due to climate change. Of particular concern is the retreating of the Andean cryosphere which affects the seasonal distribution of streamflow thus affecting water supply for agriculture, cities and hydropower generation, in countries where poverty and socio-economic vulnerability levels are still high.

ENANDES “Enhancing Adaptive Capacity of Andean Communities through Climate Services” project seeks to strengthen the capacity of society and communities in Chile, Colombia and Peru to adapt to climate variability and change. This four years intervention (2021-2025) is funded by the Adaptation Fund and implemented by WMO in partnership with National Meteorology and Hydrology Service of Peru – SENAMHI, the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies of Colombia – IDEAM, the Meteorological Directorate of Chile – DMC and the International Centre for Research on the El Niño Phenomenon – CIIFEN.

The project aims at enhancing the provision of “climate services” at regional and national levels focusing on the full service value chain with activities ranging from service design to participatory user engagement Indeed, the timely production, translation, and delivery of climate information for decision making, will support both climate risk management and adaptation plans, addressing three priority sectors: agriculture and food security, water and energy. ENANDES is structured around four major components that build the climate service value chain with a regional approach: 1) design, production and communication of climate and water information and services, 2) institutional coordination to facilitate the targeting of information, products, and services to user needs, 3) engagement of stakeholders in the co-development and implementation of local plan for adaptation, and 4) regional and global coordination and cooperation for the provision of climate services and adaptation actions. The strategy foresees also the engagement with qualified regional and international experts and partners, such as the National Institute of Space Research of Brazil – INPE, the State Meteorology Agency of Spain- AEMET to and the Swiss Meteorological Service – MeteoSwiss. The last one will capitalize previous experiences in the region and will support the assessment and evaluation of socio-economic benefits generated by the use of climate service at local, national and regional level.