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Climate change disproportionately affects marginalised groups, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, with women often facing unique and intensified challenges.

In Peru, from the coastal regions of Piura to the Amazonian forests of Ucayali and the highlands of Ayacucho and Puno, women are at the forefront of their communities’ efforts to respond and adapt to climate change.

New research, led by the °®ÍþÄÌapp of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), alongside partners across Peru, explored the lived experiences of underserved, rural and Indigenous Peruvian women in relation to climate change, highlighting its complex impact on their lives and communities. The research is published in .

Researchers conducted walking interviews with 48 women between the ages of 20 and 68, across diverse regions of Peru, who are actively engaged in local activities, such as neighbourhood committees, government programmes and farming.

The interviews revealed that environmental changes are a daily reality for these communities. Participants described how deforestation, pollution, and other human activities exacerbate environmental challenges, ultimately affecting their health, food security, and the overall resilience of their community.

One participant said: “The cold is no longer dry; it is humid. You feel it in the houses, on the walls, in the environment … the climate is completely different, we no longer know it … before we knew when it was sowing time".

For these women, climate change is not an abstract concept – it is an immediate, tangible issue that not only threatens their way of life, but has also magnifies pre-existing gender inequalities.

The study found that climate change has intensified the traditional roles women play in caregiving and resource management. Women reported increased caregiving and household management responsibilities, and intensified agricultural labour.

One participant commented: “They (men) go to the farm. They do not worry about what you are going to cook. With what water you're going to (do house chores), or from where will you bring it? Or it is a minimal worry for them."

With many men migrating due to environmental pressures, women become the primary managers of households and community resources.

The study found that many of these women remain excluded from climate decision-making spaces, even though they play central roles in managing resources and caring for families. Barriers such as gender norms, language, limited access to education, and mistrust in institutions continue to restrict their influence in local action and adaptation planning.

Despite these challenges, women in these regions are demonstrating resilience through innovation. Some women have established digital networks to share knowledge and coordinate responses to climate impacts. Local initiatives, including cultural practices and community clean-up efforts, illustrate how women are adapting and leading actions to protect their environments and support their communities.

One participant said: “Now our (new) community president has come in, we have already done a (garbage) cleanup yesterday, everything, the entire community, everyone who lives here has helped in the river."

The findings of this study reveal the gender burden of climate change on rural and Indigenous women in Peru. Based on the findings, the research team suggest a number of recommendations to increase inclusive climate action, including:

• Leadership development: Focused programmes to enhance women’s leadership skills in climate response.
• Institutional trust: Efforts to rebuild trust between communities and public institutions.
• Indigenous knowledge: Integration of Indigenous knowledge into climate adaptation strategies.
• Culturally sensitive communication: Development of climate communication strategies that are culturally appropriate and locally relevant.

Dr Elaine Flores, lead author and Research Fellow in Planetary Health at LSHTM, said: "Climate change is not gender-neutral. Our research in Peru demonstrates how women, particularly in Indigenous and rural contexts, bear disproportionate burdens while possessing unique knowledge that remains largely untapped in formal decision-making processes. This disconnect represents a social justice failure and a missed opportunity for more effective climate adaptation."

Dr Ritsuko Kakuma, Associate Professor in Global Mental Health at LSHTM, said: "What makes walking interviews so powerful is they’re situating abstract climate concepts within tangible, local contexts. When a participant can point to a dried riverbed or damaged crop while explaining her adaptation strategies, it transforms climate change from a distant scientific concept into an immediate lived reality. This approach revealed nuances in gender-environment relationships that conventional methods would likely miss."

This research was carried out as part of the Planetary Health Postdoctoral Fellowship programme at LSHTM and Stanford University and funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. LSHTM will be opening recruitment for the next round of Planetary Health Fellows soon, find out more.

Publication

Flores EC, et al. . The Lancet Regional Health – Americas. DOI: