Co-Producing Risk Management to Enhance Resilience and Protect Heritage in Vulnerable Populations of the Colca Valley, Peru

The populations of the Colca Valley in Arequipa, Peru, have developed over the centuries a rich heritage, based on their social, economic, and cultural relationships and their extraordinary coexistence with the surrounding landscape. The way of living in the Colca Valley and the common property of the inhabitants are made up of two fundamental elements: the typical Andean house and the pre-Hispanic agricultural terraces. However, both urban and agricultural heritage have been affected by seismic activity caused by the eruption of the Sabancaya volcano. In addition to this, tradition and heritage are under threat by the enforcement of globalized political decisions, carried out from the country's capital, which are unaware of the cultural and anthropological values of these populations that have inhabited this landscape for thousands of years. For this reason, this research explores the values of material and immaterial heritage in the Colca Valley, and how vulnerable Andean populations could develop a model of co-production of risk management that seeks to increase resilience while preserving their identity. For this purpose, participatory workshops were developed in 3 towns, Achoma, Maca, and Cabanaconde, which included the participation of residents, university students, representatives of local governments, and institutions.