Water science and international cooperation for sustainable decisions
Experience connecting marine research, knowledge management and multilateral cooperation on water resources.
Documented experience since 2021.
International knowledge management and communication.
Work supporting the GEF International Waters portfolio.
Co-author in Marine Pollution Bulletin.
María Camila León Duque is a geologist from Universidad EAFIT with an MSc in Marine and Lacustrine Sciences and Management, with training at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Ghent University and Universiteit Antwerpen. Her experience combines marine and environmental research, science communication and knowledge management for international cooperation.
Between 2023 and 2026 she completed three periods of work with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. In knowledge management she supported research, analytical synthesis and technical outputs for the GEF International Waters portfolio. She contributed background research and drafting for guidance on sustainable financing of transboundary water cooperation, focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean.
In communications and programme coordination she supported GEF IW:LEARN newsletters and Story Maps, alongside international conferences and multilateral meetings, including GEF IWC10. Her work included partner workflows, deliverable tracking and content quality control.
Her initial period in the Tsunami Resilience Section included adapting technical documentation into accessible guidance, supporting CoastWAVE and improving hazard-information platforms. This experience connects coastal science with communication useful to institutions and communities.
As a thesis researcher at Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), she studied micro- and nanoplastics, collected data and conducted statistical analysis, contributing to a publication on particle transfer from seawater to the atmosphere. At Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation she contributed bioacoustic protocols and cetacean monitoring surveys in Greece.
June 2025–May 2026
Produced analytical synthesis and technical knowledge outputs for GEF International Waters; supported transboundary cooperation finance guidance, partner coordination and web-content improvements.
October 2023–April 2025
Supported newsletters, Story Maps, CMS platforms and international conferences including IWC10, involving governments, UN agencies and technical partners.
March–September 2023
Adapted hazard and coastal-science documents into user guidance; supported CoastWAVE and information platforms for different audiences.
September 2021–August 2022
Developed methods to assess micro- and nanoplastics, collected and analyzed data and contributed to findings published in Marine Pollution Bulletin.
July–September 2021
Developed bioacoustic protocols and transects, took part in cetacean surveys and conducted statistical analysis of environmental and spatial data.
The challengeTurning technical information from multiple partners into useful environmental-cooperation outputs.
Applied experienceAnalytical synthesis, output review and research support on sustainable financing mechanisms.
The challengeStudying micro- and nanoplastic transfer and communicating pollution evidence.
Applied experienceExperimental research and statistical analysis associated with VLIZ and a 2023 scientific publication.
Transboundary cooperation and environmental knowledge management.
Evidence synthesis, guidance and accessible digital outputs.
Micro- and nanoplastics, statistical analysis and ocean–atmosphere processes.
Partner coordination, deliverables and international meetings.
Vrije Universiteit Brussel · Ghent University · Universiteit Antwerpen · 2020–2022
Universidad EAFIT · 2012–2017
Her work connects emerging pollution, marine resources and access to knowledge. She served on the editorial team for the UNESCO IOC NEAMTWS 2030 strategy summary, an editorial contribution distinct from her scientific co-authorship on microplastics.
Co-author · Marine Pollution Bulletin, 192, 115015.
View contribution ↗Experience connecting marine research, knowledge management and multilateral cooperation on water resources.
A professional perspective for examining problems, discussing assumptions and interpreting alternatives.
How can environmental evidence become useful information for resource management?
How can institutions sharing a resource coordinate their priorities?
What can and cannot be concluded from research data?
Explore GAE graduate education and its applied approach.
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24 months · 42 credits · 100% online
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