La Pampilla oil spill in central coastal Peru: A multi-dimensional damage assessment

Oil spills represent significant environmental disasters with far-reaching impacts on marine ecosystems, coastal communities, and local economies. There is a need to assess in a holistic manner the impacts of oil spills around the world. Thus, the main objective of the study was to extend the multi-dimensional damage assessment (MDDA) framework to marine oil spill disasters by incorporating ecosystem quality impact categories alongside traditional human health and socioeconomic indicators. The La Pampilla oil spill in Lima, Peru, in January 2022 was used to apply the MDDA methodology to quantify the environmental, economic and social damage caused. Data were obtained from multiple sources, including Peruvian government agencies, academic studies, and affected community organizations. Damage endpoints were converted to disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) following established MDDA protocols. Results show that economic damage represented the highest burden (18,925 DALYs), followed by social damage (14,872 DALYs). Environmental damage, however, was found to be marginal as compared to the other two dimensions, unlike other disaster events measured with MDDA in scientific literature (e.g., flooding events). The fishing sector experienced complete paralysis affecting 5,000 artisanal fishermen, while tourism losses resulted from the closure of 48 beaches. Total economic losses reached USD 4,500 million, representing approximately 2% of Peru's 2022 GDP. The MDDA framework proves effective in capturing the multi-dimensional nature of the damage derived from oil spill disasters, revealing that at moderate intensities coastal community livelihoods and mental health constitute the primary burden of marine oil spill disasters.