معرفی
Bilal Butt is an Associate Professor in the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan. He is affiliated with the African Studies Center, Science Technology and Public Policy Program, and the Center for Global Health Equity. His research focuses on environmental conflicts, political ecology, and the intersection of environmental justice with geopolitics. He holds a postdoctoral scholarship from the University of Wisconsin, Madison (2008–2011).
Professor Butt’s work combines geospatial technologies with ethnographic methods to study resource conflicts in dryland environments, emphasizing how power dynamics between states and communities shape environmental outcomes. His research also critiques development programs that misrepresent indigenous knowledge and explores topics like wildlife poaching, land grabs, and green energy transitions.
His key contributions include studies on conservation violence, carceral conservation frameworks, and the impacts of climate change on pastoral communities. He has been awarded the NSF Career Award and the University of Michigan’s Superior Teaching Award. His courses cover environmental governance, conflict, and fieldwork preparation.
Professor Butt directs the Critical Environmental Geopolitics Research Group, supporting graduate students globally. His work appears in journals like the Annals of the Association of American Geographers and Journal of Applied Ecology.
