Kristina Guild Douglass

I am an anthropologist and climate scientist committed to understanding how human communities adapt to environmental change—past, present, and future. My work spans the fields of archaeology, ecology, and climate studies, with a focus on historically overburdened communities, particularly in Madagascar and other parts of the African continent. I study how people’s relationships with their environments—and each other—shape resilience in the face of climate disruption, and how cultural knowledge, especially that passed down through generations, can guide more just and sustainable futures.

Currently, I serve as an Associate Professor of Climate at Columbia University's Climate School, where I lead collaborative, community-based research projects that center local and Indigenous knowledge. My approach blends deep-time perspectives with urgent contemporary challenges, and I often draw on the arts—especially Afro-diasporic practices like Capoeira and Samba—as tools for research, teaching, and building stronger, more inclusive communities.