Abstract
Along Peru’s rainforest rivers, rising flood extremes are increasingly exceeding coping capacities of vulnerable households. Peru has detailed legislation that embraces planned relocation as a strategic solution to such situations and various relocation projects are underway across the country. This research brief analyzes well-being consequences for two communities requesting relocation, using qualitative data collected from experts and 30 affected people. Initial results emphasize that weak governance, poverty, third-party involvement, and community action have influenced relocation outcomes. Delays and fragmented implementation have threatened people’s well-being. One community, waiting for land to relocate since 2015, has suffered from continued hazard exposure, deteriorated material conditions, and reduced subjective well-being. The second community achieved relocation only after a decade in detrimental limbo. Although livelihood challenges persist, its inhabitants now benefit from better market access and decreased exposure, leading to higher subjective well-being. With rising needs for relocation worldwide, the cases highlight that detailed legislation is not sufficient to safeguard people’s well-being. Advancing from well-meant legislation to good practice requires adequate institutional capacity, effective mechanisms for oversight and accountability, better engagement of third parties, and dedicated efforts to strengthen community agency.
Highlights
Peru, with its narrow desert coast, imposing highlands, and vast rainforest plains, features most of earth’s climate zones and is highly vulnerable to climate change (MINAM 2016; ND-GAIN 2020)
Fear and uncertainty, deprivations, and children’s future prospects drove their decisions, along similar lines as in other cases (Seebauer and Winkler 2020b). The state declared both zones as areas of “very high, unmitigable risk” in line with Peruvian legislation, the law’s exact threshold of “unmitigable” hazards remains ambiguous (Venkateswaran et al 2017)
Technical experts estimate that at least 15 relocations are underway in Peru
Summary
With its narrow desert coast, imposing highlands, and vast rainforest plains, features most of earth’s climate zones and is highly vulnerable to climate change (MINAM 2016; ND-GAIN 2020). People are familiar with annual flood cycles (Sherman et al 2015; Takasaki et al 1999); periodically, heavier rainfall can drive exceptionally high or long floods that pose existential threats (Coomes et al 2010; List 2016; Sherman et al 2016). While affected people dispose of strategies to deal with such hazards where they live, some floods exceed local capacities and periodically drive migration (Coomes et al 2010; Hofmeijer et al 2013; Langill 2018; List 2016; MIMP and IOM 2015; Sherman et al 2016). Planners often paid insufficient attention to social, cultural, and land issues; to infrastructure, livelihood, and transportation necessities; and to people’s place attachment. Many of those affected declined to move, returned, or maintained dual residencies. Other relocations in South America and worldwide have implied similar challenges (Arnall 2019; Correa 2011; de Sherbinin et al 2011)
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