Reforesting the Coastal Deserts of the World: A Peruvian Case-Study Reforesting the Coastal Deserts of the World: A Peruvian Case-Study

Resumen

This paper discusses the technical and economic possibilities of adapting new technologies for harvesting water from clouds for the purposes of reforestation of vast arid areas of the Peruvian coastline. Peru is the climatical synthesis of the world, with great diversity of climates due to numerous factors such as its latitude, the Andes, the Peruvian sea, and the El Niño current. Although the cold waters of the Peruvian sea have influenced the climate converting the coast into a desert strip, it contributes, paradoxically, to the formation of dense layers of stratum clouds that cover the Peruvian coastal sky most of the year.
The viability of adapting the water-harvesting technologies for reforestation of Peru’s coastline is shown to be valid in the paper. The discussion suggests that a social cost-benefit analysis of a 1000-hectares pilot reforestation project would show fairly low monetary costs and very important potential economic benefits. The main use that the new forest areas may be put to is agroforestry production systems, including timber, perennial semi-tropical crops (lucuma, pacay, pepino, basul), medicinal herbs, pasture crops and south american camelidae. The emphasis should be on desert plants such as cactus. The environmental benefits, stemming from the mere existence of forest and a greater biodiversity even if no commercial output is extracted from them, are more difficult to evaluate. Because, how are we to value the benefits on climate and on people brought about by the rebirth of a forest?