Rapid Loss of Peruvian Glaciers Threatens Freshwater Availability for Millions

Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, June 2022

Glacier retreat could reduce water availability during the “dry season” in Peru by more than 50% within the next three decades. The central Andes experience long periods of reduced rainfall and high temperatures from April-October, resulting in extremely dry conditions. As global temperatures rise, Peruvian glaciers have decreased in size at an accelerating pace, losing one-quarter of their ice in the past fifty years. The disappearance of these glaciers reduces the total amount of water stored as ice in these mountains every year. Glacier meltwater has provided reliable seasonal water supplies for millions of people in Peru, especially during the dry season. Rising demand for irrigation and drinking water has drained Peru’s diminishing freshwater reservoirs further, faster than they can recharge each year. Authors underscore the importance of curbing emissions to keep within the 1.5 °C limit of the Paris Agreement and reduce glacier loss to avoid longer seasonal periods of water scarcity in the next decades.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581822000763?via%3Dihub