NERC Discipline Hopping for Discovery Science

Theme: Water, Food and Social Organisation in the Peruvian Andes

The current and future impact of climate change on agro-pastoral farming systems, and their water supplying ecosystems, remains poorly understood in the Peruvian Andes. This is a significant issue given the known vulnerability to climate variability and extreme weather of the region, which is already having a significant impact on agricultural productivity, compounded by chronic poverty in many rural areas and the need for better government-led strategic planning. Despite steady economic growth nationally over the last 15 years a high percentage of the rural population in Peru (44% in 2017) continue to live in chronic poverty. Growing insecurities over climate change are exacerbated by lower educational and economic opportunities in rural areas, and outmigration. Better approaches are urgently required therefore to enable us to plan sustainable management practices that enhance climate resilience in conjunction with positive economic outcomes for farmers, aiding decision-makers to better understand and debate future adaptive strategies. We feel this is best achieved through collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches drawing upon methodologies developed in the humanities, and social and natural sciences, with expertise provided by local communities, NGOs and university staff.

Our discipline-hopping workshops will bring together two Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) based in Peru with University of Reading staff from a range of disciplines. We will conduct four workshops (face to face at the University, and online for those remaining in Peru); the themes of the workshops have been determined by the NGOs in consultation with local communities in Peru. The purpose of this ‘bottom-up’ approach is to ensure that those undertaking development projects, and those most affected by environmental, social and economic challenges, in Peru have the opportunity to outline and explore approaches and methods to address these challenges with the academic community at the University.

Production of a briefing document outlining the key theme and the main challenges, the agreed approaches and methods that will be adopted to address the challenges, and the benefits of the interdisciplinary research and development activities to both the NGOs, local communities and the wider academic community. The brief will be published on the websites of ECLOSIO, DIACONIA and Asociación Andina Cusichaca, and the international network led by Branch (https://foodclimateperu.com/). The brief will form the basis of discussion to explore co-produced grant applications with the NGOs and local communities, and Peruvian universities. The aim is to ensure that we are well prepared for future funding announcements and opportunities from UKRI, and to explore alternative sources of funding. Lunch will be provided.

Participants so far

• Professor Nicholas Branch (Department of Geography and Environmental Science, UoR)
• Professor Joy Singarayer (Department of Meteorology, UoR)
• Professor Chris Collins (Department of Geography and Environmental Science, UoR)
• Professor Andrew Wade (Department of Geography and Environmental Science, UoR)
• Professor Anne Verhoef (Department of Geography and Environmental Science, UoR)
• Professor Mike Goodman (Department of Geography and Environmental Science, UoR)
• Professor Henny Osbahr (International Development Department, UoR)
• Dr Sophie Blackburn (Department of Geography and Environmental Science, UoR)
• Diana Santos (NGO ECLOSIO, Peru)
• Clémence Vanommeslaeghe (NGO ECLOSIO, Peru)
• Douglas Walsh (NGO  Asociación Andina Cusichaca, Peru)
• Dr Frank Meddens (Department of Archaeology, UoR)
• Dr Francisco Ferreira (Independent researcher)
• Dr Harvey Rodda (Hydro-GIS Ltd, UK)
• Andra Serban (PhD researcher, Scenario DTP, UoR)