Debora L. VanNijnatten

Debora L. VanNijnatten is a Professor in the Department of Political Science/North American Studies and Geography and Environmental Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her research focuses on transboundary environmental governance, climate policy in North America, and water governance adaptation strategies. She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Public Policy from Queen’s University (1996), an M.A. in Political Science (1991), and a B.A. in Canadian and Western European Community Studies (exact year not specified).

Her research interests include transboundary environmental governance in North America, climate impacts on water systems, and Canada-US environmental policy dynamics. She leads projects on climate-ready communities and Net Zero strategies, funded by NSF-NSERC and NSERC-SSHRC. Key themes in her work include adaptive governance frameworks, community resilience indicators, and policy integration across scales.

Dr. VanNijnatten has authored or edited six books, including the Canadian Environmental Politics and Policy (5th ed., 2024), and over 50 articles. Recent publications analyze water governance in the Great Lakes and Rio Grande/Bravo basins, climate policy in North America, and Canada-US bilateralism. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to addressing environmental crises.

• Awards: 2024, 2017, and 2015 Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Merit Awards
• Grants: Senior Personnel on the NSF-NSERC Global Center for Climate Change and Transboundary Waters (2023–2028); Co-Investigator on Future Harvest Partnership (NSERC-SSHRC)

She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on projects like the Global Center for Climate Change and Transboundary Waters, focusing on climate-ready communities and coastal resilience. Her lab’s work integrates governance, policy, and community perspectives to address transboundary environmental challenges.