The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has announced that it will provide CHF5.8m (US$6.2m) in funding for ENANDES+, a new project to build regional capacity and resilience to climate variability and change in the Andes. It will build on the ENANDES project (Enhancing Adaptive Capacity of Andean Communities through Climate Services), currently being implemented by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) through the Adaptation Fund.
ENANDES+ will support six of seven Andean countries in their climate adaptation and resilience efforts, with SDC’s contribution adding Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador to the three original ENANDES countries: Chile, Colombia and Peru. The project will also involve all WMO regional institutions in South America, including the Regional Climate Centers for southern and western South America and the Regional Training Centers in Peru and Argentina.
MeteoSwiss will also contribute to the project, mainly through knowledge and expertise sharing.
Anton Hilber, director, SDC, Peru and the greater Andean Region, said, “Switzerland has been present in the region for over half a century. We are committed to facing the climate crisis in the region, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda, by strengthening, contributing to and promoting the scaling up of existing ENANDES capacities for the provision of weather, water and climate services in the region for adequate adaptation to climate variability and change.
“We are aware of the urgent need for joint action beyond national borders, and that’s why we are contributing to the Adaptation Fund ENANDES project being implemented by WMO. Through this contribution, we hope to increase the climate resilience efforts of three additional Latin American countries. This includes the strengthening of their capacity in providing climate services to the most vulnerable end users and communities.”
The ENANDES+ project has three main objectives:
- To improve the capacity of society and communities in the six participating Andean countries to adapt to a variable and changing climate and contribute to reducing disaster risks associated with hydroclimatic hazards.
- To strengthen the resilience of communities and productive sectors to hydroclimatic hazards, empowering social actors and institutions in each country to mitigate the negative impacts of extreme weather events and climate variability and change through the co-design and implementation of local adaptation practices based on the use of WWC information and services.
- To improve coordination and planning among participating country institutions, WMO regional institutions and other partners to maximize positive synergies and increase the efficiency of the combined projects, facilitating future scaling and replication in other contexts.
It is anticipated that the project will improve capabilities to produce weather, water and climate (WWC) services and information by delivering on three expected outcomes: reducing the adverse impacts of hydroclimatic hazards, taking advantage of the benefits of favorable conditions and enhancing adaptation to changing weather and climate contexts.
Filipe Lúcio, WMO director of member services and development, said, “ENANDES+ highlights the importance of collaborative work between countries in the region and international and regional partners. Building on experiences from projects like Climandes in Peru, and the ongoing ENANDES project, ENANDES+ will continue to scale up the provision of climate services to local communities in the Andes. From now on, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador will also be part of the collective efforts towards a more climate resilient region.”
In Argentina and Bolivia, an early warning system for flash flood warnings in the binational area of the Pilcomayo River Basin will be developed, allowing for a unique transnational approach to improve climate resilience and adaptation in the region. In Ecuador, the National Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (INAMHI) will work in the upper Pastaza River Basin to produce frost warnings for small-scale family farms and hydrometeorological forecasts to support the management of hydroelectric power plants. In Peru, the National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology will work with MeteoSwiss and the WMO’s regional centers to ensure technical knowledge is available and equally distributed amongst project stakeholders.
The ENANDES+ project was officially launched in November 2022 and is set to close in October 2026.