PROFESOR
EMERITUS PROFESOR
KUNTALA LAHIRI-DUTT AO
KUNTALA LAHIRI-DUTT AO
Exploring the Human Dimensions of Environment and Resources
Crawford School of Public Policy, at the Australian University since 2002
Bridging gender and the environment through lived experiences, understanding how people shape and are shaped by water, land, agriculture and extractive processes and activities
ABOUT ME
Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt is one of the leading global experts in critical research on the length and breadth of gender and community livelihoods in two areas of natural resources: water and extractive industries (mining). Her life, teaching and research are informed by feminist scholar-activist methodologies.
Kuntala retired in 2025 from the position of professor in the Resource, Environment & Development Program at the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University.
Research & Scholarship
Groundbreaking studies on gender, environment, and resource livelihoods
Water, Land & People
Exploring how communities live and sustain their natural environments.
Mining & Community
Reframing the social and gendered dimensions of extractive industries
Fieldwork & Engagement
Collaborative research grounded in local realities and community voices.
Writing & Publications
Writing research that reshapes our thinking about nature and society.
A glimpse of my research
My research explores the intersections of gender, extractive industries, environmental change and cultural histories. Drawing on feminist political ecology and interdisciplinary approaches, I examine informal mining (ASM), coal transitions, water systems, agricultural livelihoods and the social dimensions of resource governance across South Asia and beyond.
From published scholarship to collaborative field-based research, my work reflects both sustained intellectual inquiry and a deep personal engagement with the communities and environments I study.
Kind words from collaborators
The quiet space where reflection begins
Before the theories and publications, there’s the quiet rhythm of observation—the landscapes, the lives, and the labor that shape our world. This is where my work begins: in listening to people, understanding places, and rethinking how society connects with the environment.