THE LOS OLMOS PROJECT: BENEFITS FOR TODAY, COSTS FOR TOMORROW
Open Access
- Author:
- Ingham, Aaron Joseph
- Area of Honors:
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Dana Lynn Stuchul, Thesis Supervisor
Katharine Lee Butler, Thesis Supervisor
Dana Lynn Stuchul, Thesis Supervisor
Daniel Roger Grow, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- sustainable development
dams
water resource management
Los Olmos Project
Peru - Abstract:
- Peru's population is primarily located on the west side of the Andes Mountains. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the water is located on the opposite side of the Andes. Efforts are being made to bring the bounty from the East to the West within Peru. The Los Olmos Project is a massive irrigation project that is drilling 12.5 miles through the heart of the Andes Mountain range. The objective of this investigation is to take a closer look at the country of Peru and how this project will provide many benefits to the region. However, I also hypothesize that over time, like many other attempts in history to manipulate nature, consequences will arise and changes in the landscape of Peru will drastically come about. It is my intention to find other irrigation projects in history that have similar constants and examine their effects on their respective environments. Using historical data to buttress claims of how the Los Olmos Project will be beneficial in the short run, I also anticipate findings that will predict long-term negative costs. Consideration of other major engineering/works projects throughout recent history will provide insight as to where the country of Peru is heading with the completion of this irrigation effort. Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. I feel that with enough collected data, I may provide a sound prediction of how the landscape will change in Peru, and how these changes will touch the lives of the Peruvians, both in the short and long term.