New Study Measures Climate Change Vulnerability in Trujillo and Piura

As part of the LAIF initiative on cities and climate change of the European Union, CAF and the AFD developed the Climate Change Risk Index (IRCC) study, which focused on the identification and prioritization of concrete adaptation measures, based on the risk assessment for the dangers of water deficit, flooding by overflow of the Piura River and flooding by rainwater catch basins in Piura, as well as flooding by overflow of the Moche River, floods by landslides and coastal erosion in Trujillo.

The IRCC study includes the Climate Change Adaptation Plan (PACC), which features a roadmap with the necessary recommendations for better guidance on climate risks in these regions. The general objective of the PACC is to identify and prioritize adaptation measures associated with the results of the IRCC, and is divided into three different programs: i) risk mitigation, ii) urban resilience and iii) natural resources and rural production, together with a cross-cutting component of knowledge, and governance that facilitates implementation.

The IRCC in the case of Piura showed that in the last three decades the urban footprint increased six times in size, and thus, urban planning must be carried out in conjunction with climate change adaptation. Similarly, 87,910 residents are in risk areas that will be impacted by floods associated with the overflow of the Piura River, which makes them a priority for action as well.

In addition, part of the results shown by the IRCC in the case of Trujillo is that 87,782 residents are in risk areas, the population and infrastructure located in the urbanized sectors of Santa Teresa de Ávila and Los Naranjos will be impacted by landslides in the San Idelfonso ravine, among other areas, which makes them a priority in their intervention when the PACC is implemented

This study depicts a clear overview on the vulnerability of the different sectors in Trujillo and Piura, and opens the possibility of proposing action plans that guarantee the safety of residents and comprehensive knowledge on how to adapt to the advance of climate change and possible threats in the future. Part of the recommendations provided in the publications is to initiate the implementation of adaptation measures as soon as possible, promote knowledge transfer and continue closing gaps that hinder progress towards action. Lastly, based on its implementation, we must assess the possibility of consolidating the IRCC estimation methodology and the formulation of the PACC to replicate them in other cities in Peru.