Learning lessons from Manatí’s resilient women

This case study describes a project by Universidad del Norte, funded by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), which investigated the psychological impacts and coping strategies of women in Manatí, Colombia, following devastating floods in 2010 and 2011. The project aimed to identify models of care to boost psychological resilience and inform public policies for disaster risk management using a gender-sensitive approach.

• Devastating floods in Colombia between 2010 and 2011 affected 3,893,087 people, with 5,733 women specifically affected in the municipality of Manatí due to a breach in El Canal Del Qique.
• The 'Growing up in adversity' project utilized a combination of clinical psychologist-led interviews, focus groups, community workshops, home visits, and an SMS multimedia alert system to promote resilient attitudes and strengthen social support networks among 90 displaced families.
• Post-disaster conditions in Manatí led to significant social shifts, including increased female leadership in households as men left for urban employment, alongside rising rates of divorce and sexual violence.
• The project identified that developing social skills and self-regulation are critical for adapting to the overcrowding and lack of privacy in temporary shelters. Women in Manatí have since organized into teams to mobilize preventively for future climate events and lobby political authorities.
• The study emphasizes that disaster risk management must incorporate a gender perspective, including sex-disaggregated data and the recognition of women's active contributions rather than just their victimization, to reduce overall vulnerability.

APA

Mosello, B., Eljagh, S., & Campis, E. S. (n.d.). Learning lessons from Manatí’s resilient women. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/story/31169

Chicago

Mosello, Beatrice, Samir Eljagh, and Eliana Sanandres Campis. Learning lessons from Manatí’s resilient women. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, n.d. https://cdkn.org/story/31169.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mosello |first1=Beatrice |last2=Eljagh |first2=Samir |last3=Campis |first3=Eliana Sanandres |title=Learning lessons from Manatí’s resilient women |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |url=https://cdkn.org/story/31169 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mosellondlearning, author = {Mosello, Beatrice and Eljagh, Samir and Campis, Eliana Sanandres}, title = {{Learning lessons from Manatí’s resilient women}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, url = {https://cdkn.org/story/31169}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }