Manuela Teresa Fernández
Disaster risk reduction and sustainable development specialist
Nationality: Argentinian
Address: Ojos de Salado 4359, S.C. Bariloche
Email: manuelafernandezirujo@gmail.com
Phone: +5493364670964
Multilingual: English, Spanish, French and Italian
12 years experiences in interdisciplinary projects.
8 years of fieldwork and research project management in Switzerland & Latin America
(governance, conflict resolution, disaster risk reduction, natural resource management).
• Technical support to governments, NGOs (international and local) and community based
organizations.
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EDUCATION
! University of Lausanne (UNIL), Switzerland, PhD in Environmental Science, Specialisation in Disaster
Risk Reduction, 2015
! UNIL, Switzerland, M.Sc Geography & Sustainable Development, 2008
! University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Licencia Political Science, 2004 (equivalent to BA and MA)
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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Principal researcher
Conicet- INTA Bariloche, Argentina
February 2020- -Coordination of fieldwork & environmental research Current
•
•
projects in Patagonia
- Analysis of disaster risk, vulnerabilities and climate
change adaptation in the agriculture sector
Education & Training
specialist
UN Environment, Crisis management branch
Scientific facilitator
Eprouvette Public Laboratory- UNIL,
-Support for the implementation of the Ecosystem-based
Disaster Risk Reduction upscaling project.
- Establishment of a Regional Knowledge Hub on EcoDRR for Latin America.
- Development of Monitoring and Evaluation system for
tracking effectiveness of Eco-DRR uptake by Universities
-Support for activities and scientific communication for a
large audience.
Lecturer
Faculty of Geosciences and Environment-UNIL
-Mentoring of students and teaching for
“Géographie-milieu, espace et territoire” course.
Organizer of Latin American
School for Food Systems
Resilience
Community outreach
organiser
Consultant & Associate
officer: monitoring,
evaluation, learning &
reporting
the
Global Diversity Foundation, UK
- Coordination / Funding/ Content
Nature in Action- Lausanne
-Facilitation of environmental activities to migrant
women and their children (sensory-artistic, scientificpopularized and ecological gestures activities).
International Union for Conservation of Nature
Global Forest and Climate Change Program.
FebruaryDecember 2019-
November 2018December 2019
September 2018January 2019
January 2018 –
November 2019
October 2017 –
November 2019
March 2016November 2017
-Technical reporting, development of TORs &
communication of project results (SUSTAIN, KNOWFOR).
-Development of a learning platform for the SUSTAIN
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project, in collaboration with IUCN regional offices.
-Development of a common results framework for a
global assessment.
-Mobilization & improvement of learning tools:
outcomes story, performance study, episode study,
learning survey, learning questions.
Interdisciplinary school
camp and editor
coordinator
Teaching assistant &
Research project manager
on environmental topics
Scientific collaborator
Faculty of Geosciences and Environment-UNIL
2014-2015
Technical and logistic coordination of the school.
-Focal point of the edition process and responsible of
communication
Institute of Geography and Sustainability-UNIL
2008-2015
-Coordination of fieldwork & environmental research
projects in Latin America
- Analysis of disaster risk and vulnerabilities.
-Technical recommendations for DRR.
-Support for international conferences, seminars and
workshop programs linked with interdisciplinary
approaches, disaster risk management, climate change
adaptation and sustainable development.
-Coordination of education & research programs in
Geography, Environmental and Social Sciences.
-Conception & instruction of lectures and courses.
School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental
Engineering- EPFL
2006
-Participation in the research project “Dialogos”
Teaching assistant
Faculty of Law- University of Buenos
Aires
-Teaching in the “Theory of state” course
2005-2006
Change manager
Techint Organisation, Argentina
2004-2006
-Proposing & suggesting adaptive strategies and
transformative practices to the customers in a changing
and competitive context.
-Analysing & articulating conflicting situations.
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REVIEWER, SCIENTIC ADVISOR & MEMBERSHIP
• Journals & Books: Environmental Hazards, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction,
Disaster Prevention & Management, Revista Colombiana de Sociologia, La RED special book,
Springer, Divulgatio.
• Reviewer of the French National Research Agency
• Scientific membership of the IUCN- Commission on Ecosystem Management
• Scientific committee member of the International and National Environment Meetings, Tandil,
Buenos Aires, Argentina (2016 and 2018)
• Member of SAV (Société Académique Vaudoise)
• Member of International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES)
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EVENTS ORGANIZER & MANAGER
(2019) Organisation support for the Latin American School for Food Systems Resilience Global
Diversity Foundation, Asociación Andes, Cuzco- Peru, September
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(2019) Organisation support for the Colombian government workshop on Ecosystem based adaptation
and Disaster risk reduction, UNEP, Colombia, August.
(2019) Organisation support for the Training of trainer workshop on Ecosystem based adaptation and
Disaster risk reduction, UNEP, Indonesia, March.
(2016) Organisation support for the REDD+ workshop, IUCN, Gland, May.
(2015) Co-Organizer of special training on interdisciplinarity “Theories, instruments and methods for
sustainability studies” (TIM), in University of Lausanne, Sion, 7-10 September 2015.
(2013) Co-Organizer of Public Course “Risques climatiques: sommes-nous prêts?” UNIL, 4 December
2013 http://www.unil.ch/courspublic/page99730.html
(2013) Co-Organizer of International workshop “Linking sustainable development, global migration,
climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction – identifying emerging issues”, UNIL, 2-4
December 2013, http://www3.unil.ch/wpmu/10fgseiw/
(2011) Co-Organizer of Taller sobre Gestión de Riesgos orientado al ámbito escolar (Workshop on Risk
Management focused on school environment), Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, 8 November.
(2011) Chair of the workshop “L’interdisciplinarité dans la gestion des territoires” in Public Geographies,
Residential Seminar CUSO Geography, Biel, Switzerland, 8-10 June
(2004) Co-organizer of the 2nd National Conference on Drugs Policies Civil Association “Intercambios”,
Argentina.
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SUPERVISORY ROLES
Mickaël Pointet (University of Lausanne). Co-supervisor - L’approche du risque par la vulnérabilité.
Limites, enjeux et perspectives, Environment BSc/BA Honours, June 2012.
Sergio Estuardo Solares García (University of San Carlos Guatemala). Campaign work supervisor – Ruta
Nacional 7W: hacia la búsqueda de una solución definitiva, Geology BSc/BA Honours, March 2012.
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PUBLICATIONS
Colomer, J., Imbach, A., Raes, L., Parrilla, U., Reinhard, F., Fernandez, M., Allemant,M. (2018) Value for
Money: Guatemala’s Forest Landscape Restoration. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN- 64pp.
Fernández, M. and Matasci, B. (2017) “ L'identification et l'analyse des risques depuis une perspective
interdisciplinaire: avantages, enjeux et défis. Le cas de Uspantán, Guatemala », in Garcia Acosta, V. and
Musset, A. (Eds) Catastrophes et interdisciplinarité, IAP (Investigations d´Anthropologie Prospective) et
Academia-L´Harmattan n° 15. ISBN : 978-2-8061-0367-3, pp. 155-174
Fernandez, M. (2017) « Les composantes du risque: une entrée par les acteurs et le conflit lors de la
mise en place des solutions. Le cas de Los Chorros, Guatemala » in Géo-regards, Éditions Alphil-Presses
universitaires suisses, ISSN 1662-8527, pp-163-166
Editor book in Sudmeier-Rieux, K., Fernández, M., Penna, I., Jaboyedoff, M. and Gaillard, J.C. (Eds.)
(2017), Identifying emerging issues in Sustainable Development, Global Migration, Climate Change and
Disaster Risk Reduction. Shaping debate and policies, Springer Publishers, ISBN 978-3-319-33878-1 ; DOI
10.1007/978-3-319-33880-4
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Karen Sudmeier-Rieux, Manuela Fernández, J.C. Gaillard and Guadagno, L. (2017) Chapter I
Introduction, “Exploring linkages between disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, migration
and sustainable development” in Identifying emerging issues in Sustainable Development, Global
Migration, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction. Shaping debate and policies, Springer Publishers
ISBN 978-3-319-33878-1 ; DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-33880-4
Karen Sudmeier-Rieux, Manuela Fernández, JC Gaillard, Michel Jaboyedoff and Ivanna Penna (2017),
Conclusions: Linking Sustainable Development, Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation, and
Migration—Policy Implications and Outlook in Identifying emerging issues in Sustainable Development,
Global Migration, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction. Shaping debate and policies, Springer
Publishers ISBN 978-3-319-33878-1 ; DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-33880-4
Brocard, G., Morán, S., Vázquez, O.J, and Fernandez, M. (2016) Riesgos asociados a la génesis de la
laguna Chichoj, Alta Verapaz in Revista Guatemalteca de Ciencias de la Tierra, Vol. 1, Issue 1; ISSN 2410728X: pp.5-19
Fernández, M. “El conflicto social como oportunidad para identificar qué constituye un desastre” (2016)
In Conference Proceedings of Seminario internacional “Ciencias sociales y riesgo de desastres en
América Latina: un encuentro inconcluso », Publishers PIRNA, Argentina and IRD, France.
Assistant editor of “Especial de Desastres y Sociedad “Riesgos al Sur” Diversidad de en Argentina
Especial de LA RED sobre Argentina”, (2015) La Red edition, Buenos Aires. ISBN: 978-950-793-202-1
Fernández, M. (2014) A challenge for land and risk managers: how to manage in multi-risks and multivulnerabilities contexts where different actors are involved? In Conference Proceedings of International
Conference Analysis and Management of Changing Risks for Natural Hazards, Publishers CHANGES and
IncREO
Fernández, M., Ruegg, J. and Brocard, G.(2013) Un défi des gestionnaires du territoire: comment
composer avec les différentes définitions des risques? Mémoire de la Société vaudoise des Sciences
naturelles 25: 363-373. Edition spéciale " Les dangers naturels en Suisse - pratiques et développements ISSN 0037-9611. DOI : 10.5169/seals-389846
Fernández, M., Matasci, B., Ruegg, J. and Jaboyedoff, M. (2013) Investigación interdisciplinar para el
análisis y evaluación de riesgos de deslizamientos: el caso del municipio de Uspantán, Guatemala
in Libro de resúmenes y trabajos completos del 1° Congreso Internacional de Riesgos de Desastres y
Desarrollo Territorial Sostenible CIRIDE, pp. 275-277, Catamarca: Editorial Científica Universitaria de la
Secretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología. ISBN 978-987-661-128-2
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REPORTS AND POLICIES RECOMMENDATIONS
Brocard, G. and Fernández, M. (2011). Designing Road 7W after the "Los Chorros" rock avalanche:
observations about alternatives routes, pp.8. Lausanne: University of Lausanne
Brocard, G. and Fernández, M. (2010). Notas relativas a las investigaciones a las geológicas realizadas
en la laguna Chicoj, Municipio de San Cristobal Verapaz, junio 2009 y julio 2010 Informe preliminar.
Institut de Géologie et Paléontologie & Institut de Politiques Territoriales et de l'Environnement Humain
Fernández, M., Matasci, B. and Brocard, G. (2010). Articulo concerniente a las investigaciones geológicas
y sociales en vistas a una integral gestión de riesgos, realizadas en San Miguel de Uspantan en junio
2009, Report and recommendation to the Environment Ministry of Guatemala and the mayor of San
Miguel de Uspantán, Guatemala, Mister Victor Hugo Figueroa. University of Lausanne
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Matasci, B. and Fernández, M. (2009). Informe Bellas Flores: Canalización del agua potable en Bellas
Flores. Recommendation to Bellas Flores leadership, in Uspantán, Guatemala. University of Lausanne
Brocard, G., Fernández, M., Suski, B., Cosenza, M.B. and Audra, P. (2009). Notas intermediarias relativas
a las investigaciones geológicas, geofísicas y sociales realizadas en San Miguel de Uspantán, Guatemala
entre febrero 2007 y diciembre 2008. Report and recommendation to the mayor of San Miguel de
Uspantán, Guatemala, Mister Victor Hugo Figueroa. University of Lausanne
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CONTINUING EDUCATION
Fundraising training course, Ethika Marketing Social, Geneva (2016)
Project Management course (IPM, PMI, GDPM, Scrum), University of Bern (2016)
Socio-Environmental Leadership training, organized by Global Environment Network (GEN),
(globalenvironments.org/gen/regional-academies/). Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (2015).
Special training on interdisciplinarity “Theories, instruments and methods for sustainability studies”
(TIM), University of Lausanne, Sion, Switzerland (2015).
FORIN course (Disaster risk methodology), organized by IRDR (Integrated Research for Disaster Risk),
chaired by Prof. Anthony Oliver Smith and Irasema Alcantara Ayala in Tuxtla Gutierrez, México (2013).
Higher education courses on integrated risk and disaster, organized by IDEA (Instituto de Estudios
Ambientales) University of Colombia and CIMNE (International Center for Numerical Methods in
Engineering), Spain, chaired by the Prof. Omar Dario Cardona, Manizales, Colombia (2011).
Effective Scientific Communication training, CUSO transversal program, Lausanne, Switzerland (2010).
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INVITED SPEAKER
(2020) Course Lecturer “Risk reduction strategies: adaptation to climate change”, Master in Disaster Risk
Management, at University Andina Simon Bolivar, 7-16 February
(2017-18 and 2019) Course Lecturer “ Risks and territorial policies”, at University of Lausanne, Lausanne,
17 November 2017, 13 November 2018, 19 November 2019
(2019) Course Lecturer “Urban environments”, at University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 26 March 2019
(2016) Seminar Panellist “Apports interdisciplinaires sur deux grands fleuves Le Rhône et l’Usumacinta”,
in Université de Lyon 3, Lyon, France, 10 June 2016
(2015) Course Lecturer “Urban Geography», at Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, 07 May 2015.
(2015) Seminar Panellist “Interdisciplinarité et Catastrophes », in EHESS, Paris, 16 March 2015.
(2014) Panel Session lecturer “Faire du terrain dans les villes du Sud”, in Villes, Urbanisation et
Développement lecture, Master in Geography, Development Specialization- UNIL, 23 October 2014
(2013) Main Speaker Seminar “Riesgos naturales”, in University of San Carlos Guatemala, 18 August.
(2009) Panellist “Roundtable debate between honourable Al Gore and The young generation: Cross
border, cross generation: how to re-think our world?” Uni Dufour, Geneva, 10 July
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CONFERENCES & TALKS
(2015) El conflicto social como oportunidad para identificar qué constituye un desastre In Seminario
internacional “Ciencias sociales y riesgo de desastres en América Latina: un encuentro inconcluso,
organized by PIRNA, Argentina and IRD, France, Buenos Aires, 15-17 September 2015.
(2014) A challenge for land and risk managers: how to manage multi-risk and multi-vulnerability
contexts where different actors are involved? International Conference Analysis and Management of
Changing Risks for Natural Hazards, organized by CHANGES and IncREO, Padua, 18-19 November 2014.
(2013) La combinaison de méthodes pour l’identification et l’analyse des risques: le cas de Uspantán,
Guatemala, Ateliers d'anthropologie, UNIL, Lausanne, 4 November 2013
(2013) Recherche interdisciplinaire pour l’identification et l’analyse des risques, Le cas de Uspantan,
Guatemala, 10 ans de la Faculté de Géosciences de l’Environnement, UNIL, Lausanne, 30 May 2013
(2013) Interdisciplinary research for risk identification and assessment – case study Guatemala, Global
Platform for disaster risk reduction, UN, Genève, 19-23 May 2013
(2013) “Investigación interdisciplinar para el análisis y evaluación de riesgos de deslizamientos”, CERIDe
International congress on disaster risk and sustainable territorial development, Catamarca, Argentina,
22-24 April 2013
(2012) “Territory management: an appropriate approach for taking into account dynamic risks”, EGU
European Geological Union, General Assembly, Vienna, 22-27 April 2012
(2012) “A challenge for land and risk managers: different stakeholders, different definition of the risks”,
EGU European Geological Union, General Assembly, Vienna, 22-27 April 2012
(2012) “Un aller-retour entre théorie et terrain” in « Les méthodes de recherche dans les études
urbaines » Residential Seminar CUSO Transversal Program, Château de Bossey, Switzerland, 8-9 March
2012
(2011) “Un défi des gestionnaires de territoire: comment composer avec les différentes définitions des
risques?”, Journée de rencontre sur les Dangers naturels, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 18
February 2011
(2010) “De la mise en oeuvre comme révélateur de la pertinence des systèmes de gestion de risques”.
Seminar 621 of 78° Congress ACFAS- Association francophone pour le savoir. University of Montreal.
Montreal.10-14 May
(2010) “A framework for improved risk management with case study from Guatemala” Anniversary of
the IPTEH and IGAR Institutes, University of Lausanne, Switzerland, Lausanne, 27 May 2010
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GRANTS
! Fondation pour l’Université de Lausanne,
Funding for environmental training
! ASG Association Suisse de Géographes,
Funding for conference participation
! SAV Société Académique Vaudoise,
Research Grants
September 2015
March 2015
July 2014
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! IRDR (Integrated Research for Disaster Risk)
Grants for the FORIN course, in Tuxtla Gutierrez, México
June 2013
! Equal opportunities Office, University of Lausanne,
“Equality Grants”
March 2013
! University of Lausanne, Faculty of Geosciences,
Jan-Dec 2013
Faculty Investment Fund: Workshop “Linking sustainable development,
global migration, climate change and disaster risk reduction- identifying emerging issues”
! IDEA (Instituto de Estudios Ambientales) and
CIMNE (International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering), Spain
Grant for Higher Education Course on Integrated Risk and Disaster, Manizales, Colombia
! University of Lausanne, Faculty of Geosciences,
Seed grant for field research
August 2011
Oct 2008 -March 2009
Swiss Government,
October 2006- Mach 2008
Scholarship for foreign young researchers
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PRESS
Newspaper “Diario El Norte”, San Nicolás, Argentina: “Riesgos medioambientales y ecoturismo”
24.12.14 Link
Newspaper “Mozaico”, San Cristobal Verapaz, Guatemala “Gestión integral de riesgos, el caso de Los
Chorros, Guatemala”, 06.09.13, page 9.
Video Conference Journée Officielle 10 ans de la FGSE Recherche interdisciplinaire pour l’identification
et l’analyse des risques, Le cas de Uspantan, Guatemala, 30.05.13 LINK oral presentation FGSE
Video Conference “Global Platform 2013” Interdisciplinary research for risk identification and
assessment – case study Guatemala, 23.05.13 link Global Platform presentation
Newspaper “Diario El Norte”, San Nicolas, Argentina: “Los desastres no son naturales, son sociales y
tienen que ver con los modelos de desarrollo” 24.04.13 link
Radio L.T. 24 Radio San Nicolas, Argentina “ Nota sobre Benin, Africa” 27.12.12
Video Investigation Film, University of Lausanne, “ International research for local communities”,
31.05.12 Link Video Research UNIL
Newspaper L'irrégulier - Journal de l'Association des Etudiant-e-s en Géosciences et Environnement
Université de Lausanne, No° 19, December 2011. Gestion intégrale du risque dans le cas de Guatemala.
Page 10
TV/Journal Agencias de NoticiasUn, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. “Finaliza curso sobre gestion de
riesgos en Manizales” 29.08.11 Link Video/TV Manizales
Radio “Rien n’est joué” Madaleine Caboche, RSR, Switzerland “Sur les risques naturels au Guatemala”,
14.09.2010 Link RSR
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COMPUTER SKILLS
• Advanced Knowledge of MS Office, Endnote, Documentary software and Word Press
• User of SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) and GIS (Geographical Information System).
• Trained in Html and Web site management
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VOLUNTARY WORK & INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Community outreach
“Pôle Sud” Socio-cultural Centre, Lausanne
May 2016-current
-Development
of
annual
program
activities
and
trainings
organiser
-Identification of social needs & promoting
empowerment and sustainable development activities
-Educated public about nature conservation and
sustainable development
Humanitarian project
assistant
Enfants des collines/ Humanité+ association, Benin
Humanitarian project
assistant
Mandat International, Switzerland
Social help assistant
Centre Missionary Belén, Argentina.
2012
Fieldwork & local project supervision
2011
Welcome Desk in the UN Council of Human Rights
2001-2002
Teaching for marginalized and poor children
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