Managing glacier related risks disaster in the chucchún catchment, cordillera blanca, Peru

Abstract

Glacial lakes hazards have been a constant factor in the population of the Cordillera Blanca due their potential to generate glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), which can be increased by the effects of climate change. In past decades, the UGRH (Glaciology and Water Resource Unit) successful implemented security infrastructure, however, events like the GLOF of April 11 in Carhuaz highlighted the need to implement new risk management strategies. In response, the Glaciares Project has been carried out to implement three strategies to reduce risks in the Chucchún catchment through: (1) Knowledge generation, (2) building technical and institutional capacities and, (3) the institutionalization of risk management. Strategies focused on strengthening the Municipality of Carhuaz, the Civil Defense Platform and its members, leading to an improvement of risk management and being based under Peruvian laws. As a result, both the authorities and the population have improved their resilience to respond to the occurrence of GLOF. This chapter will discuss and analyze the strategies and actions implemented under the Glaciares Project to build a model of glacier related risk management and climate change adaptation.