Climate Vs. Fragile Páramo ecosystem in the Andes

The páramo is a high mountain ecosystem in South America’s Andes rich with biodiversity and an important source of water for millions of people. It’s at risk of becoming drier because of changing climate conditions. IRI’s latest slideshow documents the efforts of Daniel Ruiz Carrascal and an international team of researchers who have been measuring how the environment of the páramo is changing over time.

I had a grand time working on this because it involved some of my favorite people. Daniel has a sick collection of photos and videos from his research sites- at last count, more than 5,000. For those of you out there who make audio slideshows, you’ll know this was a true treasure trove to play with. We knew from the beginning we wanted to have versions in English and Spanish. I decided to have Daniel narrate the Spanish version in the first person, and for the English one, we did it in the third person, conscripting Cathy V, the coordinator for IRI’s Latin America program, as debut narrator. The videos turned out as well as they did because of Jason’s skillful production and editing!

Check it out in English:

The Páramos: Climate change threatens a fragile ecosystem in the Andes from IRI on Vimeo.

Or en español:

Los Páramos: Cambio climático amenaza un frágil ecosistema en los Andes from IRI on Vimeo.

The full transcripts are here:

http://bit.ly/m4OCbG

Will the Waters Still Flow?

Andean societies rely heavily on glacial runoff for their drinking water, agriculture and hydropower production. The possible disappearance or shrinking of glaciers in coming decades because of global warming would have grave consequences for the region. Recognizing this, the International Research Institute for Climate and Society and its partners have just started on a two-year project to characterize how climate change will impact water resources and the people who rely on them in three major Andean river basins.

To read more about this project, visit the IRI’s features page

Photo taken by Haresh Bhojwani/IRI.