Hazards to food security and sovereignty due to climate change in the Puno region, Peruvian altiplano

Abstract

The Peruvian Altiplano is frequently threatened by extreme climatic conditions, such as droughts, frosts, heavy rains, hailstorms, snowfall, etc.; situation that is aggravated by climate change. Paradoxically, the Region of Puno, which has great productive potential at the national level, presents high levels of poverty, extreme poverty, anemia and chronic malnutrition despite regional development efforts; the document analyzes and explains food insecurity in the Puno region in terms of food availability. The purpose was to estimate the caloric nutritional coverage per inhabitant and determine the percentage contribution of food groups to the availability of calories in different situations of climate change (normal, flood, drought), based on the food balance developed by FAO. The analysis revealed that the productive potential of the Puno region depends mainly on climate behavior, which makes it a high risk. The caloric nutritional coverage in the region, during a normal year, reaches only 60% of the theoretical caloric needs of one person per day, with a caloric deficit of 40%; a year with excessive rainfall generates a calorie dependence on food of 60%; while a year of drought generates 87%. The food groups that contribute most to the availability of calories are tubers, cereals and red meats. However, the proportions of the offer vary substantially according to the particular behavior of the rains. With a sensitivity analysis, it is also shown that food availability can be greatly improved, doubling the regional production of potatoes and quinoa, achieving a nutritional coverage of 95% of the nutritional requirements. These results should be considered to implement public policies focused on correcting the caloric imbalance and adaptation to climate change in the Puno region.