Peru
Our impact so far
Peru is highly vulnerable to climate hazards such as floods, wildfires and extreme heat due to its geographical location and rugged topography. Climate-related events account for 67% of disasters with 5.5 million people exposed to heavy rainfall, landslides and flooding. Wildfires have destroyed 303,000 hectares of tree cover between 2001 and 2023, harming biodiversity, the economy, and public health. More recently, rising urban temperatures above 35°C have increase heat-related illnesses and the spread of climate-sensitive diseases such as dengue. Structural socio-economic increase the vulnerability to these hazards.
Practical Action is supporting urban and rural communities in the Lima and Cusco regions by providing knowledge and tools so that people can manage their own risk. Practical Action’s work in Peru focuses on three priority topics: early warning systems, the role of ecosystems in disaster risk management, and governance and locally led climate resilience. By working with these communities, we can demonstrate tangible impact on people’s lives and learn from best practices that can help shape policy at a higher level.
Country Partners
Programme highlights
Strengthening resilience through deep engagement at the community level
Solutions podcast - Participatory rainfall monitoring network in Peru
Practical Action Case study - Foundations for Change report
The future
Practical Action teams Peru will work to achieve the following:
- Strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacity of climate-vulnerable people and communities by improving knowledge of multi-hazard risks and promoting climate-smart, risk-informed local development.
- Support vulnerable communities through ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction strategies, helping to reduce disaster impacts while addressing social, cultural, and gender considerations.
- Work alongside national entities to improve inclusive early warning systems that enable at-risk communities toanticipate, prepare for, and respond effectively to climate hazards, minimizing losses and enhancing community safety and well-being.
