The waru waru system is one of the most astonishing achievements of ancient Andean engineering. From above, the long, raised platforms, surrounded by water, look like giant shapes spread out across the altiplano. For decades, travelers and residents have been thinking they might be geoglyphs or markers, and some even thought they were from aliens. Their true identity, however, is much more exciting: a thousand year old agricultural technology that communities in Puno are using to adapt to climate change.
Today, the waru waru system is not only an archaeological legacy but also a live, operating system allowing farmers to deal with frost, drought, and erratic weather patterns in the highlands of Puno, Peru.
