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GUARDIANS OF TRADITION

The district of Miraflores rescues the live culture in their farming techniques to adapt to climate change.

By United Nations Development Programme

February 12^th, 2015

Communal management of native prairies and the improvement of ancestral water infrastructure are climate change adaptation measures based on ecosystems being launched at Miraflores district, located in the Landscape Reserve Nor Yauyos Cochas. Institutional strengthening and communal capacities for water management, pasture and livestock, reutilization of ancestral infrastructure, as well as the increase of livestock productivity and profitability are some of the medium and long term benefits for the population.

Miraflores, Yauyos. 3,600 meters above sea level.

Together with Vitis, Huancaya, Alis, Laraos, Tomas and Carania, Miraflores is a district that is part of the Landscape Reserve Nor Yauyos Cochas, in the department of Lima.This community is located in a mountainous zone, prevailing the “puna” grassland, cactus and “quinuales”. Cotuni and Anvovilca snow-capped peaks, Oman lagoon and some other “Apus” are scattered in this place where the whisper of water, and far away, the echo of villagers returning from the daily work, are barely heard.

The “plaza” keeps/guards the same quietness. Mauro Crispín Martínez welcomes us with the serenity of his 78 years. “People don’t believe I am this old. Most men and women of my generation and the generation before, who went to Lima looking for opportunities have died”, he says. “I am well because I live here and eat naturally: I eat rain fed native potato, and ‘ocas’ and ‘mashuas’, which are excellent for the kidney”. Don Mauro tells us that the villagers are working, so the village seems a little empty. While we wait for their return, we take a walk to know a little bit more about Miraflores.

Avelinda Ravichagua Lázaro manages a lodge where she prepares food for travelers. Her husband Lauro, 73 years, tells us that this territory was formerly named Cochapampa, and one engineer who came to carry out the urban design of the community lived at the coastal district of Miraflores; thus, he gave the same name to this Andean Lima zone. Don Lauro was president of the community many years ago and remembers how hard those days were, when Sendero Luminoso devastated anything they found in their path, with unmeasurable violence. One of the ways to avoid Sendero’s sacking was by distributing goods and livestock between the villagers, he recalls. On the other hand, he points out that presently, young people are not as keen to communal work as in his time. “They are too idle”, he says. “I am 73 years, so I don’t go to work anymore; I dedicate my time to other activities, to my land, my cattle, cheese making”. Miraflores is a land of wise old people.

GUARDIANS OF TRADITION

GUARDIANS OF TRADITION

GUARDIANS OF TRADITION

Miraflores community member, with his freshly caught trout.

Miraflores and climate change

Robigildo Taipe, 39 years old, is a musician, welder and local researcher at Miraflores district. He just came back from the farm labor together with 30 other villagers. He recalls that last year, the Mountain Ecosystem-based Adaptation (Mountain EbA) project called the community to deal with the issue of climate change. That because in this zone “we already feel that climate is not the same anymore; moreover we do not carry out activities in the same way as we did before”. In Miraflores, the sun is getting stronger, rain is ruthless and frost is more frequent.

“What can we do within the community to adapt to these changes?” Robigildo asks himself, worried but excited about the new projects. Later, he tells us about the meetings at the communitarian assembly “We make decisions regarding our pasture and water; particularly how to improve our channels. We are enclosing 6 lagoons built by our ancestors, the Yauyos, located in the Yanacancha sector, to convey water by pipes to the watering systems for our animals.”

Natural grass management and animal husbandry developed in the district is another issue that Robigildo considers essential for his community. “We basically raise cattle, South-American camelidos, sheeps and horses.” He recalls that when working as a park ranger, he collaborated in a census of vicuñas for the Ministry of Agriculture. “Management of this species in Miraflores is incipient because of the characteristics of the terrain- rocky and unstable- making the existence of wetland and “Bofedales” (Andean prairie) difficult.”

Robigildo Taipe, local researcher and musician in Miraflores.

GUARDIANS OF TRADITION

Agricultural Asset

Miraflores has a population of approximately 150 inhabitants. Agriculture is for self-consumption and potato, “oca”, “mashua”, “olluco”, broad beans and barley are cultivated. It seems as if time has not gone by in Miraflores. Old traditions are maintained, like barter carried out with neighbor communities like Tanta. “We supply our agriculture products and they bring handicraft and meat. Fruit comes basically from the Coast”, tells Robigildo. Likewise, cultivation techniques remain intact: they use tools like the “chaquitaclla” (foot plough), pick and hoe - made of “colle” (Buddleja coriacea) and “lloque” (Kageneckia lanceolata) wood- to work on the terrain formed by pre-hispanic origin platforms.

The work system implemented by farmers in this zone is named “aisha” and is based on rain-fed irrigation. “First we prepare the fallow land or tedding in February. We let the weed and other vegetal residue rotten in the soil, generating its own fertilizer”, he explains. “Later, we proceed to weeding in order to sow and finally harvest during the month of May. It is sad to see that people of our age leave, looking for other ways to make a living. Currently, there are only about 15 young villagers who opted to stay and work for the development of Miraflores.”

Priscilo Ruiz Abarca, another local researcher of the district, details the work that is being carried out thanks to the Mountain EbA project. Villagers of Miraflores work together with professionals of the Mountain Institute (TMI),the Nor Yauyos Cochas Landscape Reserve, through SERNANP and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Three to five kilometers of pipes are being installed from the Yanacancha lagoon to the old village of Huaquis, in order to provide water for the cattle. The water conveyed by pipes will supply water to two watering systems and thus allow a better distribution of cattle. “Furthermore, we will install a fence to allow the demarcation of 80 hectares and then we will be able to recover our grassland by re-scheduling the rotation cycle”, he adds. Priscilo complements the information provided by Robigildo: there are some 40 active villagers. The age limit for farming is 60 years, from this age onward the person becomes a “passive villager”.

Miraflores has a wonderful flora, proudly says Robigildo Taipe, who is a local researcher of the Mountain EbA project, as well as a candidate for the presidency of the rural community in his district. “This is a natural pharmacy. There are plenty of medicinal plants here. Huamampinta” or “chachi” (Chuquiraga spinoza), chicory, “matico” (Buddleja glubosa), “muña” (Minthostachys mollis), lemon verbena, mugwort, “huamanrripa” (Senecio tephrosioides), “soldasolda” (Viscum album) and urtica; species that my healer grandmother taught me how to use”. Robigildo emphasizes the need to reforest Miraflores soil with “quinuales” and “colles” as they provide humidity and nutrients to the soil. The adaptation to climate change and the contingencies that come together is well directed in this region of majestic mountains, up-to-date technology and millenary infrastructure.

Priscilio Ruiz, local researcher.

GUARDIANS OF TRADITION

Priscilio shows the use of chaquitaclla.

Robigildo and Priscillio are both local project researchers for the EbA Mountain Programme in Peru.

GUARDIANS OF TRADITION

THE MOUNTAIN EBA PROJECT

The Mountain Ecosystems-Based Adaptation program (EbA) is a collaborative initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) (through its implementing partner, the Mountain Institute (MI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Public Works and Nuclear Safety of the German Government (BMUB). In Peru, the programme is run by the Ministry of Environment of Peru (MINAM) and is implemented in the Nor Yauyos-Cochas Landscape Reserve (RPNYC), with support from the National Service for Protected Natural Areas (SERNANP).

For more information visit our website: ebaflagship.org/peru

Learn more about the EbA Mountain project in this video:

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GUARDIANS OF TRADITION

GUARDIANS OF TRADITION

Footnotes

By Mt EbA Peru. Written by José Carlos Picón (Tres mitades). Photos: Carlos Díaz Huerta (Tres mitades.)

FootNotes

By Mt EbA Peru. Written by José Carlos Picón (Tres mitades). Photos: Carlos Díaz Huerta (Tres mitades.)

© 2026 United Nations Development Programme

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