The city of Manizales in Colombia has been widely recognized as a good practice case in disaster risk management (DRM). Previous research has sought to amplify learning from Manizales through examining the characteristics of its innovative practices. These are championed by an inter-institutional alliance that includes academia, the local government, the regional environmental authority and service providers. This paper argues that this learning needs to be accompanied by a nuanced understanding of the historical trajectories that have allowed Manizales to create and consolidate its current enabling environment for DRM. The argument derives from an analysis of fieldwork data, including semi-structured interviews, participant observation and secondary data, through a critical juncture approach. Focusing on the critical juncture of seasonal heavy rains in 2003, the paper illustrates how institutional changes configured cultural–cognitive, regulatory and normative conditions for the emergence of one of Manizales’ most recognized good practices, the Guardians of the Slope programme.

哥伦比亚的马尼萨莱斯市已被公认为灾害风险管理（DRM）的良好实践案例。先前的研究试图通过检查马尼萨莱斯创新做法的特征来扩大对马尼萨莱斯的学习。这些活动受到包括学术界，地方政府，区域环境主管部门和服务提供商在内的机构间联盟的支持。本文认为，这种学习需要伴随着对历史轨迹的细微理解，这使马尼萨莱斯能够创建和巩固其当前的DRM支持环境。该论点来自对现场工作数据的分析，包括通过关键关头方法进行的半结构化访谈，参与者观察和辅助数据。