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Producing EnerGy and preventing hAzards from SUrface water Storage in Peru
Background
The Peruvian Andes are home to 71% of the world's tropical glaciers, and the meltwater they provide is an essential resource for the people downstream who depend on it for irrigation, sanitation and energy production.
However, Peru's glaciers are retreating rapidly, threatening this water supply, as well as releasing sediment to valley areas and revealing topographic depressions that can become natural reservoirs for glacial runoff.
PEGASUS Project
The PEGASUS project (2019-2022) was designed to assess the opportunities and threats that rapidly evolving natural resources and landscapes will bring to the people of the Peruvian Andes. It focussed primarily on the Cordilleras Urubamba, Vilcabamba and Vilcanota. The primary aim was to establish the scientific basis on which practitioners can maximize the opportunities and minimize the risks presented by environmental change in the glacier basins of the Peruvian Andes.
From Peru, the project was carried out by the Centro de Investigación y Tecnología del Agua of Universidad de Ingenería y Tecnología (CITA-UTEC), Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), CARE Peru and Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco (UNSAAC). The English counterparts were the University of Leeds, the University of Hull, Northumbria University and the University of Dundee. The project was financed by the Newton-Paulet Fund through PROCIENCIA, CONCYTEC, UKRI-NERC and the British Embassy in Lima.
Objectives
The PEGASUS project comprised four interlinked work packages focussing on 1. the impact of climatic changes on the glacial landscape, 2. the dynamics of sediment transport as ice recedes, 3. the hazards posed by emerging glacial lakes, 4. interfacing with people and policy.
Specific objectives:
Climate change and ice recession
To simulate future climate and glacial recession and its impact on mountain ecosystems.Sediment dynamics
To measure and forecast changes in sediment flow and supply to downstream areas.Present and future glacial lakes
Assess future risks posed by glacial lakes and the potential for hydropower development.Social perspective and recommendations
Balancing risks and resources: integrating recommendations for companies, policymakers and individuals.
Study area
The study focused on the Cordilleras Urubamba, Vilcabamba, and Vilcanota, located in the southern Peruvian Andes. These three mountain ranges provide a crucial water supply for hydroelectric power generation, agriculture, and domestic consumption in the Cusco region. Together, they represent 34% of Peru's glacial area and include the Quelccaya glacier, spanning 39 km2, making it the largest tropical ice cap in the world. They directly supply water to both the city of Cusco, with over 440,000 inhabitants, and the surrounding region, which has more than 1.1 million inhabitants.
In the south of Cordillera Vilcanota lies Lake Sibinacocha, a glacial-fed dammed lake stretching over 15 km in length and covering an area of approximately 20 km2. This dammed lake with a capacity of 110 Mm3. This reservoir has a capacity of more than 110 H3 and supplies the Vilcanota-Urubamba basin, which, in turn, feeds the Machu Picchu hydroelectric plant, the largest in the region.
Work groups
Expected results
Climate change and ice recession
Projection of weather patterns over a century
Forecasting changes in glacier coverage
Examination of ecosystem transformations
Sediment dynamics
Anticipating water and sediment discharge from glacial melt
Forecasting sediment transport resulting from glacial melt
Examination of the sediment quality of glacial lakes
Present and future glacial lakes
Prediction of future glacial lake locations and sizes
Estimation of new glacial lake formation timelines
Simulation of potential flooding scenarios from glacial lake outbursts
Social perspective and recommendations
Assessment of community perceptions of risk
Evaluation of potential impacts on affected communities
Facilitation of participatory workshops with local communities
Creation of communication materials for public awareness
Establishment of partnerships with key stakeholders to provide recommendations
About Centro de Investigación y Tecnología del Agua - CITA
The Centro de Investigación y Tecnología del Agua (CITA) is a research center of the Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología (UTEC), in Lima, Peru, which seeks to promote, develop and communicate the water-related research that is carried out in Peru under different environmental and social perspectives. Among its research interests is the impact of climate change on glacier retreat, and the consequent effect on water security and the potential hydro-glacial hazards in the Peruvian Andes to generate scientific information for those involved in its management and protection.
About the University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a public research university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Established in 1904, it is a leading UK university with a global reputation for excellence ranked in the world's top 100 universities (QS World University Rankings 2023), and a member of the prestigious Russell Group. Leeds is one of the largest universities in the country, with 38,000 students currently enrolled from over 170 countries.
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