This open access book examines how and why various forms of climate (im)mobilities can impact
people's objective and subjective well-being. Worsening climate impacts are forcing subsistence
farmers worldwide to decide between staying or leaving their homes. This mixed methods study
analyzes cases of climate-related migration displacement relocation and immobility in Peru's
coastal highland and rainforest regions. The results reveal that numerous farmers experienced
profound and often negative well-being impacts regardless of whether they stayed or migrated.
The higher the structural constraints such as weak governance and the more damaging the
climate impacts were the higher the risk of well-being declines. Additionally the affected
individuals often had limited agency and ability to mitigate losses. These findings challenge
the notion of migration as adaptation and emphasize the importance of safeguarding the human
rights and security of those affected while addressing loss and damage. Without significant
investments in such efforts climate impacts could sharply diminish the well-being of numerous
subsistence farmers worldwide-irrespective of whether they stay or migrate.
