Adattamento al cambiamento climatico nei sistemi rurali del Perù: tra fattori locali e dinamiche globali

During the last decade adaptation to climate change (c.c.) rose on the political and research agenda. The impacts of c.c. are increasingly evident and are expected to be severe specially for the most vulnerable low and middle income countries.Through a qualitative case study in two rural districts of the Amazonas Region (Peru), this research aims at studying how people, particularly smallholder farmers, are adapting to climate change impacts and which factors influence their responses, starting from their voices and points of view. Also the role of institutions and their initiatives related to c.c. in the area are considered.We found that although c.c. is widely present in the national and regional policy strategies, few plans related to adaptation are being implemented. A primary focus is paid on mitigation, while the complexity and multi dimension of c.c is underestimated.On the other hand, local farmers are responding autonomously diversifying the varieties of coffee they cultivate, increasing the use of chemicals and fertilizers, diversifying their sources of income with temporary jobs. Also family and community nets play an important role in case of crisis. However, most of these strategies are not sustainable in the long term and people adaptive capacity is threatened by the interaction of multiple stressors related to the local and international context, such as economic globalization. These factors need to be considered in the designing of adaptation policies and initiatives.