Naya has worked on several marine biodiversity conservation projects in various protected areas in Cabo Verde. She majored in Biological Sciences at the University of Cabo Verde and obtained a Master’s Degree in Marine Bioresources and Environmental Science at the University of Hokkaido, where she researched marine plastics and their effects on seabirds. Naya’s doctoral research focused on coastal sustainable development in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), with a particular emphasis on community participation in decision-making processes, community empowerment, and co-designing methods.
Currently, she is a post-doc researcher at the University of Tokyo working on Nature-based Solutions for climate-resilient communities in Pacific SIDS. She is coordinating the launch of ECOP Cabo Verde Node and is also part of ECOP Africa.