Pollution and climate change threaten the cradle of Andean civilization

CASE STUDY: WATER QUALITY

Pollution and climate change threaten the cradle of Andean civilization

The online story map can be accessed on the dedicated case studies website.17

The waters of Lake Titicaca – a transboundary lake straddling Peru and Bolivia – are considered the cradle of Andean civilization. The lake is the largest in South America and the highest navigable lake in the world (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2019). It is an extremely complex, unique, yet fragile ecosystem, which is being negatively impacted by natural and anthropogenic factors. As a high-altitude lake, natural soil erosion and subsequent sediment run-off have always been a serious problem. Land-use changes and uncontrolled mining have exacerbated the situation by increasing the transport of solid material to the lake. Organic, chemical and bacterial water pollution is also increasing, primarily as a result of untreated or insufficiently treated wastewater and industrial discharges from urban centres (Puno, El Alto, Viacha, Oruro and Juliaca) (Global Environment Facility, n.d.). Global warming is also impacting the lake as a result of higher evaporation and the disappearance of glaciers, which were its main source of replenishment (Cordova, 2011).

Amy Rollo on Unsplash

17 See https://mango-river-0ac1c3d03.azurestaticapps.net/#/story/0/0/0.

Figure 26. Chlorophyll concentration map of Lake Titicaca showing elevated concentrations around the northern inlet

Sources: DHI GRAS; © Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data.

These processes are threatening this fragile ecosystem, on which 2.6 million people currently depend. Action is therefore urgently needed to mitigate climate change impacts and prevent ecological collapse and a social disaster (Thuringer, 2016).