Selva: Flood-Driven Entrapment and Planned Relocation in Peru’s Rainforest

In Peru’s rainforest (Selva), the research interest was in two cases of flood-driven, short-distance, planned relocation in the Region of San Martín. After having requested relocation, both villages first became forcibly immobile for years (V3 and V4) and only one relocation was eventually accomplished (V3). These cases are of interest for two reasons. First, the evidence demonstrates that the annual flood cycle in the rainforest and extreme floods periodically drive individual migration and when habitability is threatened, the state has occasionally attempted to relocate entire communities. Second, extreme floods have already increased in the rainforest and are projected to rise further due to climate change; the case studies thus provide valuable insights into a dynamic with rising importance for (im)mobilities. In the first section, I explain the geographical context, measured and projected climate change trends and impacts, exposure, vulnerabilities, local coping and adaptation, and hazard-related migration in Peru’s Selva. Afterwards, I describe and discuss the new empirical results before inducing propositions on well-being impacts of climate (im)mobilities in the last section. Findings highlight that severe floods in 1999 and 2015, respectively raised aspirations to migrate in the villages. Yet, due to limited migration capabilities and lacking state support, farmers in V3 only relocated after 15 years, whereas those in V4 have remained in entrapment until today. These (im)mobilities occurred under distress because structural opportunities were only low to average, whereas high structural constraints emerged. The Indígenas’ prolonged entrapment in V4 has had significant impacts on their well-being. Because the state designated their village as a high-risk flood zone but failed to purchase a promised new plot for the relocation, farmers did not only still suffer from continued flooding, but also lost planned infrastructure investments. Their vulnerabilities have increased chronically. With worsening need fulfillment, most respondents lost subjective well-being. Many also expressed negative outlooks on the future given economic insecurity and years of bad governance, which have raised doubt that the relocation will be completed. By contrast, V3 faced major hurdles in the protracted relocation but eventually moved. Although challenges persisted after relocation, most farmers perceived the eventual transfer as successful in material dimensions owing to the decreased exposure to hazards as well as the improved access to jobs and markets. Most villagers followed a trajectory of delayed recovery and reported positive feelings, cognitive satisfaction, and optimistic views of the future. Based on these empirical findings, more general propositions on the well-being impacts of climate (im)mobilities are induced.