Heavy flooding and toxic contamination are increasingly threatening the livelihoods of Peru’s campesinos (rural farmers) and their livestock. Extreme weather events, worsened by climate change, have caused rivers to overflow, submerging vital agricultural lands and forcing farmers to abandon their fields. The Amazon River and its tributaries have inundated entire regions, leaving communities without the means to cultivate their crops or care for their animals. In addition to the flooding, the waters have become contaminated with toxic metals from illegal mining activities, exacerbating the health risks to both humans and livestock. Many campesinos rely on subsistence farming and raising livestock for their survival, and these environmental threats have left them in a vulnerable and desperate situation.
The polluted waters also contribute to the spread of waterborne diseases, further endangering the health of rural communities already suffering from the economic fallout of destroyed crops and displaced animals. Peru’s campesinos, who are already struggling with poverty, now face the compounded effects of environmental degradation, which threaten their food security and way of life. Local and national authorities have struggled to provide sufficient aid, and many communities are calling for better disaster preparedness, stronger environmental protections, and more sustainable agricultural practices to cope with the mounting challenges posed by climate change and resource exploitation. More