Women’s Experiences of Internal Displacement and Relocation in the context of Hydrometeorological Events in Communities of the Dry Corridor of Guatemala

This Working Paper shows that women's experiences of forced internal displacement in Guatemala's Dry Corridor reveal how hydrometeorological events, such as hurricanes and droughts, exacerbate structural inequalities, including gender inequalities.

Published on July 3, 2025

Ana Paredes Marín y Alejandra Barrios Ariano | lanid, IDPs, Disaster, Climate, Americas (inc Caribbean)

El Arenal, Guatemala. Houses destroyed by landslide. 2022 © Department of Global and Territorial Dynamics Studies, Rafael Landívar University

It uses case studies of the causes and consequences of internal forced displacement in El Arenal, Agua Zarca, and Miramundo to highlight how structural vulnerabilities, environmental degradation, and lack of territorial planning amplify the risks in this region. This paper demonstrates that, in the context of relocation processes and faced with limited institutional support, communities – and especially women – that are affected by socio-environmental disasters linked to hydrometeorological events (rain and drought) turn to family and community networks to finance relocations and to cope with the effects of displacement and disasters. As central figures in the sustainability of families and communities, women face a disproportionate burden due to their role in rebuilding living conditions and managing resources in highly precarious environments impacted by recurring climatic events in their communities.

KEY WORDS: Dry Corridor, internal forced displacement, hydrometeorological events, displaced women, relocation

Ana Paredes Marin holds a Master’s degree in Political Sociology with research experience in internal forced displacement, collective action, informal politics, territorial planning, and the environment. She is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Research in Socio-Humanistic Sciences (ICESH) at Rafael Landívar University, Guatemala.

Alejandra Barrios Ariano is an Anthropologist with research experience in human mobility, climate change, gender, and education. She is a Research Assistant for the project “Knowledge and Impact on Causes, Effects, and Management for the Transformation of Internal Forced Displacement in Guatemala” at the Institute for Research in Socio-Humanistic Sciences (ICESH) at Rafael Landívar University, Guatemala.

Download RID Working Paper No. 48

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