Long-Term Environmental and Social Monitoring in the Andes: State of the Art, Knowledge Gaps, and Priorities for an Integrated Agenda

CARILLA, J; ARAOZ , E.; OSINAGA ACOSTA, O.; MALIZIA, AGUSTINA; MALIZIA, MATILDE; JIMÉNEZ, YG; PERALVO, M; GARCÉS, A.; LASSO, G; LLAMBÍ, LD

MOUNTAIN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

MOUNTAIN RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Año: 2023 vol. 43 p. 1 - 9

0276-4741

Andean social–ecological systems (SES) play a key role in thelivelihoods of South American people by conserving biodiversity,providing natural resources, and regulating water supply. Longterm social–ecological monitoring (LTSEM) of Andean SES needs tobe coordinated to inform sustainable management and increaseresilience. We combined quantitative and qualitative approachesto identify the state of the art, knowledge gaps, and monitoringpriorities for a research agenda targeted toward Andean LTSEM.We carried out participatory and transdisciplinary meetings todesign a conceptual model of the functioning and monitoring ofAndean SES. This was contrasted with the themes and labels ofLTSEMs identified through an electronic survey and activesearches of bibliographies and montane monitoring networks.Most LTSEM addressed biophysical issues, with a minor fractionaddressing social aspects; participatory efforts were very rare. Bycombining both approaches, we identified research priorities thatwere grouped into 5 categories. Our main proposals advocate:(1) the development of integrated models of Andean SES to framea transdisciplinary approach in long-term studies, (2) thecoordination of independent LTSEMs to forecast the functioning ofAndean SES under environmental change scenarios, (3) theinclusion of external dynamics and drivers on Andean systems,(4) the promotion of science–policy dialogue to attain a moreeffective governance of mountain SES, and (5) the increase ofinformation accessibility to improve the adaptive management ofAndean SES.