Water resources management in Peru
The coastal area of Peru, with most of economic activities and more than half of the population, receives only 1.8% of the national freshwater renewable water resources.
Economic and population growth are taking an increasing toll on water resources quantity and quality, especially in the coastal area of Peru.
The second half of the 20th century witnessed heavy public investments in dams in the Andes and associated irrigation infrastructure in the coastal region.
[1] (See Legal and Institutional Framework below for more details) Peru has a large amount of water resources, with 159 river basins and a per capita availability of 68,321 cubic meters (m3) in 2006.
[3] Groundwater withdrawal per sector in Peruvian coast (5) Source: ANA In 1980, the former National Institute of Natural Resources (INRENA) established an inventory of Peru's water storage capacity, including lakes and dams.
[7] The gradual decrease in Peru's water quality is due to the release of untreated effluents from mining, industries, municipalities and polluted runoff from agriculture.
Of the 53 rivers in the coastal area, 16 are polluted by lead, manganese and iron threatening irrigation and potable water supplies.
For example, in July 2008 it declared a state of emergency at a mine near Lima over fears that arsenic, lead and cadmium from its tailings dam could pollute the main water supply for the capital.
[8] In July 2010 the government declared another state of environmental emergency in the central mining district of Huancavelica after a wastewater storage dam of the Caudalosa Chica company collapsed and leaked water laden with heavy metals into local rivers.
[12] Subsequently, an independent report by Stratus, a Colorado consultancy, found that the pollution from the mine "posed no threat to human health or to drinking water".
But the mine's rapid expansion has affected farmers: Several irrigation channels have dried up, while extra sediment in rivers has killed trout.
When another company began exploration in Ayabaca and Huancabamba, this elicited new conflicts and a referendum held in September 2007, in which again over 90% of voters voted against mining.
[14] In the highland and Amazon areas, excessive deforestation due to nomadic agriculture practices is causing erosion and soil degradation.
The largest hydroelectric facility in the country is the 900 MW Mantaro Complex in southern Peru, which is operated by state-owned Electroperu.
Uncertainties about land ownership, industrial pollution, urban sprawl, and deforestation continue to threaten wetland integrity in Peru.
[1] In addition, the Ministry of Environment (MINAM) created in 2008 is responsible, among others, for the generation of hydro-meteorological information through its Meteorological and Hydrological National Service (Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrologia – SENAMHI).
An additional challenge is that the regions are young and lack fundamental technical capacity and human resources to undertake IWRM.
The proceeds are to be used for environmental monitoring, prevention, control and remediation; water resources planning; and the operation and maintenance of infrastructure.
[6] El Niño hits Peru approximately once every seven years and consists of heavy winds and rainfall associated with devastating floods and landslides.
Droughts severely affect the southern coast, producing agricultural losses as well as limitations on human water consumption.
High mountain ecosystems, including páramos (unique wetlands of the Northern Andes) and snowcapped terrains are among the environments most sensitive to climate change.
[24] Data recently made available suggest that climate impacts have already altered the circulation patterns responsible for producing and moving water vapor to the region.
These changes have likely contributed to the disappearance of high-altitude water bodies, as well as to the increased occurrence of natural and human-induced mountain fires.
In the Cordillera Blanca, Santa River Basin precipitations will become the main water resource in view of the severe retreat of the area's tropical glaciers.
Peru's Government in planning a US$1.5 billion investment to build two desalination plants on Lima's coast to supply water to 1.5 million people.
[26] The World Bank is collaborating with the Government of Peru through the National Water Resources Management Modernization Project (US$10 million).
This project aims at strengthening the institutional capacity for integrated water resources management at the national level and in three river basins namely, Chancay-Lambayeque, Ica-Alto Pampas and Chili.
In June 2007, the Global Environmental Facility approved the Regional Adaptation to the Impacts of Rapid Glacier Retreat in the Tropical Andes (Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru) Project.
This project aims at implementing adaptation measures to meet the anticipated consequences of glacier retreat induced by climate change.
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) contributes US$10 million to a Water Resources Management Modernization Project focused on three pilot river basins namely, Santa, Chira-Piura and Tacna.
