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As far as geography goes, Lima, Peru, is odd to say the least. Located on the country's arid west coast, this metropolis of around 8 million people lies in an area that receives virtually no rainfall. In fact, Lima's average precipitation comes in at a parched seven millimeters per year. By comparison, Columbus averages about 960 millimeters of rain per year.
This combination of size and dryness gives Lima the distinction of being the world's second largest desert city, only behind Cairo. But the Egyptian capital has one thing that Lima does not: a large, reliable river.
Where does a desert city like Lima get enough water to sustain itself? Glaciers. On Peru's west coast, everything depends on them. Seventy percent of the country's population lives in this arid zone, which contains only 2 percent of the water. So western Peruvians must rely on runoff from glaciers in Andes Mountains.
Unfortunately, Peru's glaciers have been disappearing at a rapid rate over the past 50 years, due to global climate change. During this time frame, water flow to the country's west coast has been reduced by about 12 percent, according to a recent study. If this glacial decline continues, major cities like Lima could find themselves without a natural source of fresh water in the next few decades.
Along with its obvious importance in terms of human consumption, water also plays a vital role in Peru's economy. About 80 percent of the country's power is generated by hydroelectric plants, which operate on rivers of fast moving glacial runoff.
The hydrological outlook is so bleak that some of Peru's own scientists honestly believe that a time is coming in this century where a barrel of water will cost more than a barrel of oil in their country. And while the damage to Peru's glaciers has already been done, that has not stopped the government's search for a solution. The current plan is to drill an ambitious tunnel system through the Andes Mountains in an effort to reach water on the range's lush eastern slopes. The prospects of this project are promising, as similar plans have been successfully undertaken in other world cities.
If, however, engineering and modern technology cannot find an answer to these challenges, Peru could very well become global warming's first casualty, with more to come. What about the impacts on the Alpaca herds? What about the farmers who can no longer grow potatoes (which are indigenous to Peru) because the soil is too dry? And what about the Quechua children who will never get to see snow atop their sacred mountains?
Rod Swain is a senior in international studies. He can be reached at swain.62@osu.edu.
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