Prateep Nayak

Prateep Nayak is a Professor at the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development within the University of Waterloo. His academic focus combines political science, environmental studies, and international development through transdisciplinary research on human-environment connections. With expertise in commons governance, social-ecological resilience, environmental justice, and political ecology, he has taught courses like

• INDEV 100: Introduction to International Development
• SUSM 675: Governing the Commons
• INDEV 617: Environmental Change and Governance

He has received prestigious awards including the Trudeau Scholarship, Harvard Giorgio Ruffolo Fellowship, Canada's Governor General Academic Gold Medal, and SSHRC Banting Fellowship.

Professor Nayak's research explores social-ecological systems, emphasizing vulnerability-to-viability transitions in small-scale fisheries, gender dynamics in dried fish value chains, and multidimensional justice in coastal governance. His Google Scholar publications since 2017 highlight Asia-Africa comparative studies, marine protected areas, and policy frameworks for adaptive management. Article keywords reveal engagement with climate resilience, equity in resource access, and institutional pluralism in governance systems.

Scientific awards include

• Trudeau Scholar
• Harvard Giorgio Ruffolo Fellow in Sustainability Science
• Canada's Governor General Academic Gold Medal
• SSHRC Banting Fellow

His fieldwork experience includes development projects in India focusing on community-based governance of land, water, and forests at the research-implementation-policy interface. Current teaching aligns with his expertise in international development and environmental governance, while historical publications show long-term engagement with coastal systems analysis and regime shifts.