South American camelid pastoralists are ancestral systems specialized in the rearing of alpacas and llamas that develop between 4000 and 5000 metres of altitude, where native rangelands and wetlands dominate the landscape. In southern Peruvian Andes, these systems are traditionally managed by Aymara and Quechua indigenous pastoralist families and communities, using grazing and transhumance. This is cultural legacy of the ancient high Andean people who domesticated South American camelids thousands of years ago through a process of co-evolution with the grasslands and wetlands. So that the interaction between rangelands, animals and humans is of co-dependence. In this sense, these livelihoods are highly dependent on rainfall and natural resources, as well as on a complex pastoralist knowledge system that ranges from animal genetics to territorial management. On the other hand, puna pastoralists fulfil strategic economic, ecological, and cultural roles in Andean highlands. They ensure key ecosystem services such as water availability, biodiversity and carbon stocks that benefit downstream agriculture and cities, and the planet. However, camelid pastoralists are challenged by continuous ecological and social changes to which they are adapting in an environment of great uncertainty. How are they dealing with these changes and their implications to their livelihood and society. Thus, the objective of this study is to identify and analyse changes and adaptations that traditional camelid pastoralists of Peruvian Altiplano are undergoing. Data was collected with interviews and participant observations in two different moments, 2010 and 2022. It was found that climate change has modified water availability calendar which altered the seasonal transhumance. Due to migration, labour is scarcer, and aging of pastoralists is persistent. Traditional knowledge and practices are getting lost. Their roles are poorly known and valued by government and civile society. These systems are under severe threat and their future is uncertain.
