Contacts: In Lima– Sandra Arzubiaga (511) 615-0660
sarzubiaga@worldbank.org In La Paz: Rafael Archondo (591-2) 215-3347 rarchondo@worldbank.org In Washington- Stevan Jackson +1 202 458-5054 sjackson@worldbank.org Lima, May 29, 2008 –The World Bank announced today a new program to address the impact of tropical glacier retreat in Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador. The program, supported by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), will grant US$7.49 million to implement a set of adaptation actions to face the threats posed by climate change in the Andes. The project totals US$ 33 million and draws from several donors. The new Adaptation to the Impact of Rapid Glacier Retreat in the Tropical Andes Project (Andes Region Project) in Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador targets mountainous and glacial areas. “Climate change will heavily impact Andean countries’ economies, particularly the poor. Adapting to climate change is crucial given the severe and irreversible effects it will have on the region,” stated Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, World Bank director for Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, during the project launch in Lima. The initiative seeks to strengthen the resilience of local ecosystems and economies affected by rapid tropical glacier retreat by implementing pilot adaptation activities that illustrate the costs and benefits of adaptation alternatives. The project’s specific objectives are: a) The effective integration of the implications of glacier retreat into regional and local development planning, particularly in glacier basins b) The inclusion of glacier retreat impacts in local development projects and programs c) The collection of data on glacier dynamics to improve policy decisions. “This project will help Andean countries monitor the changes in tropical glaciers and the evolution of mountain wetlands, as well as implement pilot adaptation measures, as a key input for decision-making on how to address the impacts of glacier retreat,” commented Walter Vergara, head of Latin America’s adaptation project portfolio. This project is part of the World Bank’s strategy to help the regions’ countries face the impacts of climate change. In April, the World Bank signed an agreement with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) giving it access to cutting-edge expertise and information from the Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS). These images and data will support World Bank-sponsored adaptation projects in Colombia, Mexico, the West Indies, and the Andes region of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. The ALOS images of tropical glaciers in the Andes will be used to assess these glaciers’ dynamics under the project approved today. To date, World Bank investments in climate change adaptation initiatives in Latin America reach US$90 million. - | 
RSS