Silja Klepp

Silja Klepp is Professor of Human Geography at Kiel University, holding the UNESCO Chair in Integrated Marine Sciences since 2022. She is an elected member of both the Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg (since 2024) and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (since 2023). Her work spans multiple institutions including the artec Sustainability Research Center, Kiel Marine Science, and the German Marine Research Consortium.

Her research focuses on human-environment relationships in the Anthropocene, with particular emphasis on climate change impacts, environmental justice, and socio-ecological transformation. Klepp has conducted extensive field research in Pacific Island nations including Kiribati and Vanuatu, as well as Mediterranean regions such as Sicily, Italy, Malta, and Libya. She employs transdisciplinary approaches and artistic research to develop inclusive climate adaptation strategies, currently working on coastal erosion in Sicily.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent engagement with environmental justice frameworks applied to climate adaptation, marine governance, and socio-spatial inequalities. Her work demonstrates a critical approach to climate change adaptation that challenges technocratic solutions and emphasizes power relations, knowledge production, and political dimensions of environmental change across diverse geographical contexts.

• Christiane Rajewsky Award (2012) from German Association for Peace and Conflict Studies
• Nominated for German Thesis Award (2011) by Körber-Stiftung
• Research Academy Leipzig Award for best social science PhD (2010)
• Member of Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg (2024)
• Member of European Academy of Sciences and Arts (2023)

Klepp co-founded the Environmental Justice Network EnJust in 2019 and has been active with Scientists for Future since 2019. She has held advisory roles including with the Heinrich Böll Foundation (2018-2022) and serves on multiple research networks related to marine science and climate adaptation. Her leadership extends to coordinating educational programs for PhD students and contributing to national and international policy discussions on climate justice.

As part of the Kiel Marine Science initiative and future ocean research network, Klepp collaborates with interdisciplinary teams examining the social dimensions of marine and coastal changes. Her work bridges academic research with practical policy applications through networks like EnJust and her involvement with the German Protestant Church Congress.