I am Camellia, a graduating PhD candidate from the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Gandhinagar. I have completed my Masters from the School of Human Ecology, Ambedkar University Delhi. I have recently been awarded the Earth Fellowship 2023 by British Council Scotland and SGSAH, working as a visiting researcher at UHI Scotland. My PhD fieldwork was funded by the Inlaks-RS conservation grant in 2021-22 and I have also been selected as one of the 100 women from the South Asia for the Women Leadership programme in 2022 by the British Council. I have published in several peer-reviewed journals, popular media and magazines. I have received travel grants to attend i) Workshop on ‘Indigenous and More-Than-Human Ecological Justice: Environmental Humanities Research in the Global South at Chiangmai University (Sep 2022) ii) LNUC Summer School: The Colonial Anthropocene, Linneaus University, August 2022 and iii) for ESEH conference, University of Bristol, UK (July 2022).
Current Research
The thesis explores the diverse types of relationships that exist among the villagers living on the fringes of the forest, mangroves, and tigers. It delves into how these relationships influence one another and the contexts in which these interactions occur. Additionally, it examines how the dynamics of this trio are disrupted when disasters, such as cyclones, occur. The connections between humans and non-human species go beyond mere biological aspects; they are also shaped by cultural and social constructs, thus embarking on a profound exploration of the materiality and subjective dimensions of this intricate relationship and interdependence.
My PhD research is interdisciplinary in nature, integrating ideas across the field of human-non/multispecies studies, political and cultural ecology, and climate disaster.
Areas of Study
Political ecology, climate disaster, multispecies approach, Sundarbans, Protected areas