Name

Sukanya Basu

Sukanya Basu is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Göttingen, Germany funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). She is a visiting research fellow at the University of Cambridge, UK, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Sweden and the School of Climate Change and Sustainability at Azim Premji University in India.
Her research focuses on developing participatory, context-specific approaches to food systems governance and evaluating their socio-ecological resilience, equity, and sustainability. By integrating methods such as field-based studies, stakeholder engagement, and policy analysis, Sukanya examines the interplay between natural resources, livelihoods, and food systems, particularly in urban contexts of the Global South. Her work highlights how inclusive, transformative strategies can enhance food security, environmental sustainability, and social equity in the Anthropocene. She pursued her PhD at the University of Göttingen in the Research Training Group (RTG) Sustainable Food Systems. Her doctoral research focuses on the intersection of urban blue infrastructure and food systems in rapidly urbanizing cities, particularly in the Global South. Her work examines the role of urban wetlands, local foraging practices, and sustainable restaurants in promoting ecological resilience, food security, and social equity. Through interdisciplinary approaches, her research explores how community-managed blue spaces and locally foraged ingredients contribute to biodiversity, cultural heritage, and inclusive urban food systems.


Research Interests
Urban food systems
Sustainability
Food security
Food system resilience
Livelihood and environment
Urban commons

Education

• 09/2021- Present : Ph.D. in Sustainable Food Systems, University of Göttingen, Germany
• 06/2017-03/2019: Master of Arts in Natural Resources and Governance, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India
• 07/2012-05/2015: Bachelor of Science in Zoology, University of Burdwan, India

Professional Experience

• 01/04/2019 – 31/08/2021: Research Assistant, Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, India

Publications

2021

• Basu, S., Nagendra, H., (2021). Perceptions of park visitors on access to urban parks and benefits of green spaces. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening (57): 126959.
2020

• Basu, S., Nagendra, H., (2020). The Street as Workspace: Assessing Street Vendors’ Rights to Trees in Hyderabad, India. Landscape and Urban Planning (199):103818.

Working papers

• The role of urban parks in children’s lives” in the book titled “Transformative Power of Parks” to be published by Sagamore-Venture Publishing in 2022.
• “Nature-based Solutions for Mental Health” in the book titled “A Modern Guide to Nature-based Solutions for Cities”, eds Timon McPhearson, Niki Frantzeskaki, Nadja Kabisch. To be published in 2022.

Conferences

2019

• “Accessibility and Environmental Justice in Urban Green Space: A Comparative Study of Selected Parks in Hyderabad City, India” selected for 17th IASC Global Conference, Lima, June 2019.
• “Accessibility and Environmental Justice in Urban Green Space: A Comparative Study of Selected Parks in Hyderabad City, India” selected for 2nd Annual Sustainability and Development Conference, University of Michigan, USA, Oct 2019.
2018

• Understanding place-making in urban India through socio-ecological processes and community interventions on the lakes in Bangalore” in ESP Asia Conference, WII, Dehradun, Oct 2018.

Languages

• English (advance)
• Hindi (advance)
• Bangla (mother tongue)