Debray, Alix

Alix Debray is a (virtual) Visiting Research Fellow at UNU-CRIS and an Affiliated Researcher in the Department of Economics at Ghent University. She is a member of both the Migration and Social Policy Cluster and the Nature, Climate and Health Cluster. Her research focuses on (im)mobility, water-related adaptation strategies, and the developmental implications of climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Previously, Alix was a PhD Fellow at UNU-CRIS, where she conducted her doctoral research under the supervision of Professor Dr. Ilse Ruyssen (Department of Economics, Ghent University) and Assistant Professor Dr. Sorana Toma (Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University).

Currently, she serves as the Youth Sector Coordinator at the International Secretariat for Water-Solidarity Water Europe (ISW-SWE), where she leads the development and implementation of youth-focused programs under the “Water Generation” strategy.

Alix holds an engineering degree in Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering from ENGEES (France). Alongside her academic work, she has accumulated over five years of professional experience in the water sector, working across both public and private organizations. Her expertise includes water quality and contamination risk assessment, flood management, river restoration, water legislation compliance, and the integration of sustainable development principles into innovative engineering projects. She has also led initiatives in France and Senegal that promote youth engagement in water governance and decision-making.