Sonia Delphin

Sonia Delphin-Perez is a Research Scientist at the Arizona Institute for Resilience International Resilience Lab. She is part of the USAID Climate Adaptation Research Program (CARP), which aims to promote applied research that can be used to inform policies on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. This research contributes to creating a better environment and increasing community resilience in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and the Pacific Islands regions. Sonia, originally from Paraguay, works closely with the CARP partner in LAC, the Consejo Superior Universitario Centroamericano (CSUCA).

Sonia completed her doctorate in Natural Resources at the University of Arizona. Her dissertation explores the feasibility of integrating ecosystem services into land use planning to meet environmental, economic, and social goals in developing countries. Her research approach integrates the knowledge and voices of Indigenous and rural communities in decision-making, and her interests include the use of bottom-up participatory methods to balance nature conservation and development, address climate change, and promote community resilience, mainly in the Global South. Sonia's research portfolio includes both quantitative and qualitative methods for studying the intersection of human-environment interactions. Prior to pursuing her doctorate, she worked for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in strategic planning, operations, fundraising and implementing projects.