Hydrological Impacts of Climate Change in Andean Ecosystems

The Andean region, stretching from Venezuela to Chile, hosts a mosaic of glaciated peaks, páramo grasslands and montane cloud forests that regulate water supply for millions downstream. Warming temperatures have accelerated glacier retreat, leading to initial increases in meltwater runoff that mask long-term declines in dry-season flows. At the same time, climate models project amplified precipitation extremes alongside longer meteorological droughts driven by enhanced evapotranspiration. Changes in seasonal rainfall patterns are reshaping soil moisture dynamics, altering groundwater recharge and shifting the timing and magnitude of river discharge. Human interventions—cultivation, afforestation and grazing—superimpose further complexity by modifying land cover and subsurface flow pathways, thereby reducing baseflow resilience and amplifying flood peaks. These evolving hydrological regimes threaten water security for urban centres, agriculture and hydropower, while undermining the ecological integrity of high-altitude wetlands and riparian forests. Understanding the interlinked processes of climate drivers, land use and ecosystem responses is essential for devising adaptation strategies to safeguard Andean water resources in a warming world.

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Hydrological Impacts of Climate Change in Andean Ecosystems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in hydrological impacts of climate change in andean ecosystems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Evapotranspiration: Combined process by which water is transferred from land and vegetation into the atmosphere through evaporation and plant transpiration.

Baseflow: Sustained component of stream discharge contributed by groundwater seeping into river channels between rainfall events.

Statistical downscaling: Technique to derive high-resolution local climate information from coarse-scale global or regional model outputs.

Ensemble modelling: Use of multiple climate or hydrological model runs to capture the range of possible future scenarios and quantify projection uncertainty.

Solute flux: Movement of dissolved chemicals through soil layers and into surface or subsurface water, influencing weathering and nutrient transport.

Hydrograph: Graphical representation of river discharge or streamflow as a function of time, used to assess flow regimes and response to precipitation.

References

1. A future of extreme precipitation and droughts in the Peruvian Andes. npj Climate and Atmospheric Science (2023).
2. Soil–vegetation–water interactions controlling solute flow and chemical weathering in volcanic ash soils of the high Andes. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (2023).
3. Impacts of land use on the hydrological response of tropical Andean catchments. Hydrological Processes (2016).