title: Understanding Perceptions of Climate Change, Priorities, and Decision-Making among Municipalities in Lima, Peru to Better Inform Adaptation and Mitigation Planning.
abstract: Climate change poses multiple risks to the population of Lima, the largest city and capital of Peru, located on the Pacific coast in a desert ecosystem. These risks include increased water scarcity, increased heat, and the introduction and emergence of vector-borne and other climate sensitive diseases. To respond to these threats, it is necessary for the government, at every level, to adopt more mitigation and adaptation strategies. Here, focus groups were conducted with representatives from five Lima municipalities to determine priorities, perception of climate change, and decision-making processes for implementing projects within each municipality. These factors can affect the ability and desire of a community to implement climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. The results show that climate change and other environmental factors are of relatively low priority, whereas public safety and water and sanitation services are of highest concern. Perhaps most importantly, climate change is not well understood among the municipalities. Participants had trouble distinguishing climate change from other environmental issues and did not fully understand its causes and effects. Greater understanding of what climate change is and why it is important is necessary for it to become a priority for the municipalities. Different aspects of increased climate change awareness seem to be connected to having experienced extreme weather events, whether related or not to climate change, and to higher socioeconomic status.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Mariella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siña
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
authors.forename: Rachel C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Saldarriaga
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lawler
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zunt
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cárcamo
mesh_terms: D002017:Budgets; D002947:Cities; D002958:City Planning; D057231:Climate Change; D003657:Decision Making; D003906:Developing Countries; D057217:Economic Development; D004782:Environmental Health / Q000191:economics; D017144:Focus Groups; D006078:Government Programs; D006285:Health Planning; D006292:Health Priorities; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D010568:Peru; D011639:Public Opinion; D011640:Public Policy; D012939:Social Planning; D014504:Urban Health; D014881:Water Supply