Ipshita Basu

I am a political anthropologist whose research investigates state-society relations in ecologically degraded and climate-vulnerable regions. My work explores how communities navigate health, wellbeing, and political recognition amid long-term impact of environmental and socio-political upheaval. I am the author of Reclaiming Indigeneity and Democracy in India's Jharkhand (Oxford University Press, 2024), and co-editor of Politics and Governance in Bangladesh: Uncertain Landscapes (Routledge, 2018).

My research is interdisciplinary, bridging political anthropology, environmental history, and development studies. I have received funding from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the British Academy, and the Quintin Hogg Trust to examine how legacies of environmental and political regimes shape experiences of health, illness, and healing. This work also investigates claims for political recognition and seeks to amplify indigenous perspectives on planetary health.

I hold a PhD in International Development from University of Bath. and M.A. in Sociology from University of Warwick. I have worked at BRAC University, Dhaka (2010-2012), University of Surrey (2012-2015) and currently based at University of Westminster (2015-) where I am Reader in Global Development and Politics.