Climate Change Dynamics in the High Andean Communities of Peru: Imaginaries and Adaptation Practices of Agricultural Producers

Climate change poses a growing challenge for high Andean communities around the world, whose livelihoods depend directly on agriculture, livestock farming, and the stability of local ecosystems. In this context, the study sought to understand the construction of social imaginaries among agricultural producers around the dynamics of climate variability, with the aim of analyzing both the vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities that emerge in their daily practices. Based on a qualitative approach, supported by 32 interviews with key informants from 16 communities, four focus groups, and documentary analysis, data was collected in the field and, using Atlas.ti software, the testimonies of community members from Cojata, in Puno, Peru, were processed, revealing the social imaginaries and collective responses linked to the phenomenon. The findings reveal feelings of concern and uncertainty, diverse interpretations of the dynamics of climate change, a reconfiguration of cultural meanings, and the deployment of hybrid adaptation strategies that combine ancestral knowledge and contemporary resources. Taken together, these findings show that social imaginaries play a central role in how communities face the climate crisis, revealing both the persistence of structural inequalities and the need to strengthen intercultural territorial policies that recognize local knowledge, enhance community cooperation, and promote a horizon of resilience and climate justice.