Dr. Karina Benessaiah is an Assistant Professor in the department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics at the University of Guelph, a human-environment geographer, and an interdisciplinary sustainability scholar. Her research explores how people and communities navigate rapid and intersecting social-ecological changes, including climate change, environmental degradation, and economic crises. Drawing on research across diverse geographical contexts, she examines the vulnerabilities and opportunities that emerge from these changes, and how these shape pathways toward more sustainable and equitable futures.
Her work spans sustainability transformations, grassroots innovations, food systems, inequality, and changing human-nature relationships. She recently contributed as an expert to the IPBES Transformative Change Assessment, examining strategies and actions for realizing transformative change. Her current research explores how small-scale sustainability initiatives can contribute to broader transformations in urban and rural contexts.
She also works at the intersection of arts and sciences, collaborating with researchers, artists, designers, writers, and grassroots organizations to explore how creative practices, participatory approaches, and diverse forms of knowledge can help people imagine and co-create alternative futures.
