Evidencias locales del cambio climático y sus impactos : ejemplos desde Sudamérica

Climate change impacts on ecosystems and societies vary, for which they can not always be precisely determined. Drawing on three examples from South America, we explore some of the multiple evidences that different knowledge systems and local experiences can contribute to the understanding of climate change and its impacts. In the Chiloé Archipelago (southern Chile) we analyze the connections between different drivers of change reported by peasant women from Chiloé when explaining drought and its impacts on agriculture. To the multi-causality, the Tsimane' indigenous people (Bolivian Amazon) add the appreciation that the abusive or disrespectful use of nature is an underlying cause of change. Finally, the study among the ribeirinhos of the Médio Río Solimões, Brazilian Amazon, explores how extreme floods and droughts - attributed to climate change - affect health and increase the risk of accidents. Given that the evidences presented are not fully reported in the scientific literature, the three case studies presented reinforce the idea that multiple pieces of evidence are needed for a holistic understanding of climate change.