This Technical Note is a report of piloting work carried out in Peru before the first round of qualitative sub-sample research. The pilot project aimed to implement and develop methods for these sub-studies, especially the use of semi- structured methods with groups of children to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The methods were identified through an extensive review of literature detailing participatory, quantitative and qualitative work with children and adults and developed for the specific age groups and research questions.

This paper examines the impact of climatic shocks on young children's nutritional indicators, using the Peruvian Young Lives project data set. Special attention is given to child nutrition and climatic shocks, since malnutrition in young children may have long-term negative effects, and the covariate nature of climatic shocks may make them more difficult to cope with than other shocks. This paper finds that climatic shocks led to a significant increase in child stunting, reducing the height-for-age z-score of five-year-old children by 10%.

Although poverty rates have reduced during the last 15 years, Peru is still one of the countries in Latin America with the highest level of income inequality. Nearly one out of two Peruvians lives in poverty – three out of five in the case of children – and one out of five is extremely poor.