Peru Archives - State of the Planet

Landmark Climate Change Lawsuit Moves Forward as German Judges Arrive in Peru

An Indigenous Peruvian farmer is suing one of Europe’s largest CO2 emitters, the German energy firm RWE AG, for the costs of protecting his town from flooding. The case is progressing again after delays from COVID-19, and court-appointed experts are evaluating the risk posed by the glacial lake.

by |August 4, 2022

What Climate Change Adaptation Programs in Peru Are Missing: Indigenous Women’s Knowledge

A number of development programs in the high Andes involve Indigenous men but exclude women herders, preventing the potentially vital exchange of knowledge.

by |April 27, 2021
A vicuña, a relative of a llama, stands on a jumble of rocks in front of a large glacier in the background.

Vicuña Dung Brings Vegetation to the High Andes

Latrines created by vicuñas, wild relatives of llamas, provide vital nutrients for plants on post-glaciated mountain landscapes in the Andes.

by |December 22, 2020
A milky blue lake sits at the base of snowy mountains and is surrounded by dark brown rocks.

Five Years In, Legal Team Behind Groundbreaking Huaraz Case Remains Optimistic

A recent panel discussion provided an update on the case of a Peruvian farmer who is taking on one of the world’s largest energy companies over its carbon emissions. 

by |December 4, 2020

A Look at Climate-Caused Harms Unfolding in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca

Focusing on ice loss, glacier hazards, and water variability due to climate change, a new study highlights challenges for communities in Peru’s mountain cryosphere systems.

by |August 26, 2020

When COVID-19 Quarantines Ancestral Andean Rituals

Virtual Indigenous ceremonies reveal the strong bond between mountain communities and their Inca roots.

by |June 24, 2020
palm tree

How to Save a Rainforest: It’s All About Conflict Resolution

A new Earth Institute study offers practical lessons in the implementation of conflict sensitive conservation, a first outside of Africa.

by |August 13, 2019
map of lead samples in cerro de pasco peru

High School Students in Peru Discover Lead Contamination Hotspots

Equipped with a field testing kit originally developed within Columbia’s Earth Institute, the “Lead-Free Kids Peru” project has tested hundreds of soil samples for the toxic metal — and dug up some startling results in the process.

by |March 29, 2019

Vanishing Glaciers: The Future of Water in Peru’s High Andes

In the high Andes of Peru, glacial retreat poses a complex set of challenges related to water supply.

by |June 12, 2018

Palm Oil in the Amazon: Threat or Opportunity?

Small migratory farming is responsible for 70% of the annual deforestation in Peru. Can palm oil address this problem and lead the change towards sustainable development in the Peruvian Amazon?

by |February 28, 2018