Nancy Doubleday holds a PhD degree from Queen’s University and specializes in international law of indigenous peoples and environment, and in paleo-ecological reconstructions of climate change and anthropogenic impacts.
Dr Doubleday is the HOPE Chair in Peace and Health at McMaster University, focusing on proactive approaches to peace, health, justice and sustainability in complex social-cultural-ecological systems. As a lawyer, she has participated in land claims negotiations, and represented a range of international groups such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species; the International Whaling Commission; IUCN; Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program, and federal bodies and initiatives in Canada – including the Arctic Marine Conservation Strategy, the Working Group on Northern Conservation, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Research Council and the Defense Advisory Board. Dr Doubleday co-chairs the Arctic Ocean Working Group of the Ocean Canada Partnership where she works to link community sustainability, livelihoods, freshwater and ocean health. She chairs the Cold Region Environments Commission of the International Geographical Union, which focuses on the future of polar and high-altitude environments, including their role in water security, climate change and sustainable ocean regimes. At UNU-INWEH, Dr Doubleday contributes to teaching for the Water Without Borders programme and to research on water security.