A major exporter of fresh produce, the desert city of Lima is also vulnerable to heavy rains, flooding, and landslides, especially in its unplanned communities.
City Class Score
| Commercial Hubs | |
| Export Champions | |
| Mobility Connectors | |
| Climate Resilient |
Corporate HQs, MNC presence, branded outlets, hotels, manufacturing, start-up ecosystem, transport linkages, population, and income.
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Manufacturing, industrial parks, export share and share change by category, air and port infrastructure, freight time to market, trade agreements, and expert interviews.
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Passenger traffic, flight connectivity, air-cargo flights, port infrastructure, container ship sailings, and major road networks.
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Coastal and river flooding, extreme rain, extreme heat and humidity, cyclones, and water scarcity.
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The stalls in Lima’s Surquillo Market overflow with fresh fruits and vegetables, inviting the adventurous to explore exotic delights like lucuma and cherimoya, alongside a selection of seafood fresh from the Pacific Ocean. This abundance of produce is a key reason why Lima is considered South America’s culinary capital. Just a stone’s throw from the market, small street stalls dish out some of the most authentic Peruvian fare, while the city also boasts globally acclaimed restaurants that serve up some of the world’s most exciting dining experiences.
Peru’s climate offers the perfect backdrop for agribusiness, nurturing the rich bounty found in its bustling food markets. With a steady temperature and high-quality water sourced from the Andes Mountains, the country has become one of South America’s largest exporters of fresh produce, including avocados and asparagus. Yet the climate also presents challenges, particularly with the phenomenon known as coastal El Niño. This weather pattern raises sea surface temperatures along Peru’s coast, resulting in heavier and more prolonged rainfall, affecting the capital and beyond with heavy flooding.
Lima, however, is not well-equipped to handle heavy downpours. As the world’s secondlargest desert city after Cairo, such rainfall has historically been rare. Moreover, a lack of urban planning exacerbates the situation. Successive governments have permitted new migrants to settle in unregulated areas, including precarious riverbeds and hillsides. When heavy rains do arrive, these informal settlements are quick to flood, and landslides are a frequent threat. The city faced its worst floods in decades in 2017, with over 200,000 homes destroyed. Lima suffered in 2023 from heavy rains, following the city’s first cyclone in 40 years.
In response, the government is taking steps to bolster resilience, investing in improvements to drainage channels and water retention basins as well as reinforcing riverbanks. A coalition of nonprofits and public agencies has introduced electronic sensors, including cameras and saturation detectors, to provide communities with early warnings about landslide and flood risks. Many of these initiatives also focus on safeguarding the city’s water supplies, which face threats during flood events. More investment and enhanced urban planning are needed to ensure that Lima’s lowerincome communities can better withstand the impacts of coastal El Niño.
