ANDEX Rationale
In recent years, scientific research in the Andes dealing with our understanding of interactions between hydrological, meteorological and atmospheric processes, has made interesting progress. In addition, the technological advances have allowed for improving hydrometeorological forecasting and climate prediction. In spite of these developments a comprehensive understanding of the Andean hydroclimate is still lacking, which is partly due to a deficient hydrometeorological monitoring network along the cordiller. While such integrative vision of basic hydroclimatic processes and climate variability is crucial to face the urgent challenges brought about by anthropogenic climate change as well as land use change and deforestation along the Andes.
ANDEX is a proposed GEWEX Regional Hydroclimate Project (RHP) aiming at understanding, modelling and predicting the dynamics of the water and energy cycles over the Andes cordillera, at a wide range of temporal and spatial scales, and their linkages with the surrounding oceans, land surface and major river basins. ANDEX will tackle a variety of research questions within the interests of the Andean countries and GEWEX’s major goals. Moreover, the agenda ANDEX proposes will further the scientific development in South America through: (i) fostering regional cooperation among researchers and research programs, (ii) establishing a focused research agenda on fundamental issues of the Andes region main interests, (iii) creating the scientific framework to help decision making processes for the sustainable development of a highly environmentally and biogeophysically threatened region, (iv) connecting the Andean region with global and regional initiatives.
Para el folleto informativo de ANDEX en español, haga clic aquí.
