SOCIOECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF WOMEN'S COPING MECHANISMS AND RESILIENCE TO FLOODS IN 508 - KITTAMPAHUWA GN DIVISION IN KOLONNAWA, SRI LANKA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17501/2357268X.2025.10201Keywords:
flood vulnerability, women coping mechanisms, resilience, socioeconomic, determinants, KolonnawaAbstract
Floods are recurring disasters in Sri Lanka that disproportionately affect women due to socioeconomic conditions, cultural practices, and household responsibilities. This study examines the socioeconomic determinants of women’s coping mechanisms and resilience to floods in the 508-Kittampahuwa GN Division in Kolonnawa. It focuses on women’s vulnerability to floods, coping strategies, caregiving responsibilities, and behavioural factors that contribute to resilience. A qualitative case study design was adopted, guided by interpretivism epistemology and constructivist ontology. Data were collected through 12 in-depth interviews using purposive and snowball sampling and analysed thematically. The findings indicate that poverty, limited access to resources, cultural practices, caregiving responsibilities, education and awareness, and the availability of flood early warning systems influence women’s coping mechanisms and resilience. Women with limited resources face greater difficulties in accessing emergency support, recovering from household damage, and managing flood-related economic challenges. Cultural practices and caregiving responsibilities further intensify these challenges during flood events. The findings also indicate that women’s preparedness relies largely on previous flood experiences, owing to limited access to formal education and awareness programmes. The non-functional flood early warning system further constrains timely preparedness and response. Overall, the study highlights the interconnected nature of socioeconomic and cultural factors in shaping women’s vulnerability, coping mechanisms, and resilience to floods in Kittampahuwa.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Sayuri Warnakulasuriya, RU Samaranayake, J Chethana, TD Samarasinghe, AMGS Ransara, HAD Nethranjalee, DHP Kavindi, BKSS Vindyani, Isurika KBS, KATN Abeysundera, Veranga Wickramasinghe
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
