This report (second part of three) is intended to give a state-of-the-art overview of past and current monitoring and research activities by the Universities of Massachusetts (CSRC), Innsbruck (ITGG) and the IRD in the glaciers of Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. It focuses exclusively on climatologic, glaciologic, and hydrologic monitoring networks which have been installed and maintained by the three groups. It does not, however, include activities by other foreign research groups nor does it discuss the networks maintained and operated by the national meteorological or hydrological services such as SENAMHI, INRENA or INAMHI.

The report is meant to give an accurate description of current monitoring efforts, but it does not address the adequacy or shortcomings of these installations and monitoring sites. This issue is discussed separately in the third volume (see Part III: Future recommendations).