Carsten Butsch

Carsten Butsch is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Bonn, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. He holds the academic title of Apl. Prof. (Außerplanmäßiger Professor) and is actively engaged in research, teaching, and academic leadership. His affiliations include the Geographical Institute at the University of Bonn, with prior academic roles at the Universities of Cologne and Heidelberg.

• PhD in Geography, University of Cologne (2011)
• Habilitation in Geography, University of Cologne (2018)
• Diploma in Geography, University of Bonn (2006)

His research focuses on geographical health research, urbanization in the Global South, migration, and risk governance, with a strong regional emphasis on India. He investigates how urban expansion, migration, and water scarcity impact health and livelihoods in periurban areas. His work integrates human geography with public health, emphasizing cultural understandings of health and medical diversity among migrant populations.

The recent articles highlight a consistent focus on urban health, transnational migration, and environmental risks in South Asia. Key themes include hydrosocial uncertainty, risk governance in megacities, and transnational practices of Indian migrants. The research employs mixed-methods and participatory approaches, often in collaboration with local stakeholders in India and Germany.

Dr. Butsch has secured significant third-party funding, including projects from the DFG and Belmont Forum/BMBF. He leads the ongoing projects H2O – T2S Livelihoods in Urban Fringe Areas and MiGeQua: Migrant health in the neighborhood, both addressing health and sustainability challenges in urban contexts.

• Spokesperson, Working Group Global Urban Health, Global Health Hub Germany (since 2021)
• Member, Advisory Board of ERDKUNDE (since 2020)
• Member, DFG Interdisciplinary Commission for Pandemic Research (since 2020)
• Spokesperson, Working Group 'Medical Geography and Geographical Health Research' (since 2016)
• Founding member and spokesperson, South Asia Working Group, German Geographical Society

He supervises Bachelor’s and Master’s theses and has taught over 60 courses across Germany and India, including field excursions and summer schools. His academic service includes editorial and organizational roles in national and international geography networks.

Dr. Butsch leads two major research initiatives: H2O – T2S, which studies water-related livelihood transformations in periurban India, and MiGeQua, which explores migrant health practices in diverse urban neighborhoods in Bonn and Cologne. These projects reflect his commitment to interdisciplinary, socially relevant research at the intersection of geography, health, and urban development.