School of Social Sciences

Dr Dipak Mandal is a Post-Doctoral Associate at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru. His research focuses on environmental governance, sustainability, and development studies, with particular attention to how socio-ecological systems respond to change in urban and coastal regions. His current work examines climate change, livelihood transitions, and ecosystem dynamics in the Indian Sundarbans. Through field-based research and stakeholder engagement, he explores how environmental vulnerability shapes everyday life, mobility, and adaptation in vulnerable coastal communities.

His doctoral research on urban environmental movements in Bengaluru examined the role of civic engagement in issues such as waste management and the conservation of urban commons. Broadly, his work is driven by an interest in understanding how community-led initiatives can contribute to more sustainable and inclusive forms of environmental governance.