Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
1
19
Environmental and
Socio-Economic Changes
Resilience and Adaptation
Strategies
Christoph Stadel
INTRODUCTION
Since centuries, rural communities in high mountains had to cope with
multiple changes of a harsh environment and fragile livelihoods. In turn,
farmers and pastoralists have utilized the full range of natural resources
in an optimal and often sustainable way, with the primary objectives of
diversifying their economic base and of minimizing the livelihood risks.
This has been achieved by a long-standing tradition of experiences and
learning processes, by tenacious and inventive methods of resilience, and
by skillful adaptation strategies (Gade 1999).
Rural landscapes in the Andes are characterized by an impressive
diversity of natural environments and by multiple resource assets. This is
particularly the case in the tropical realm where the ecological altitudinal
zones of the
tierra caliente
,
the
tierra templada
,
the
tierra fria
and the
tierra helada
Search WWH ::
Custom Search