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Farhana Sultana

Professor of Geography and the Environment, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University

About Farhana

Sultana is an internationally recognized and award-winning interdisciplinary scholar, speaker, educator, and author in environmental politics, water governance, climate justice, international development, human rights, decolonizing knowledge, and transforming systems. Prior to joining Syracuse, she taught at King’s College London and worked at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Author of over a hundred publications, her books include “Confronting Climate Coloniality: Decolonizing Pathways for Climate Justice” (2025) and “Water Politics: Governance, Justice, and the Right to Water” (2020). Her work has been highlighted in Nature, New York Times and many other outlets.

No Jargon Podcast

In the News

Opinion: "Reflections from Capitol Hill: A Year On in Washington and Dhaka," Farhana Sultana, Counterpoint, August 3, 2025.
Guest on Metabolism of Cities, November 12, 2024.
Research discussed by Mikayla Melo, in "Farhana Sultana Delivers Keynote for Film Series During London’s Climate Action Week," Maxwell School News and Commentary, September 9, 2024.
Research discussed by Maxwell Communications and Media Relations Office, in "Sultana Speaks With Al Jazeera and DW News About the Devastating Floods in Bangladesh," Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, August 27, 2024.
Opinion: "Bangladesh’s Second Independence: A Step Forward for Democracy," Farhana Sultana, The Hill, August 22, 2024.
Opinion: "Fossil Fuel Exec Is Slated to Lead COP28. We Must Decolonize Climate Governance.," Farhana Sultana, Truthout, August 2, 2023.
Opinion: "Climate and COVID-19 Crises Both Need Feminism – Here’s Why," Farhana Sultana, Opinion, The Hill, May 16, 2021.
Guest on The Eco Politics Podcast, March 22, 2021.
Opinion: "The Importance of Learning About Climate Change From the Global South," Farhana Sultana, Dhaka Tribune, March 1, 2021.
Opinion: "Here’s How Scientists Want Biden To Take On Climate Change," Farhana Sultana, Climate, Scientific American, November 12, 2020.
Interviewed in "Maxwell Faculty Member Meets Pope Francis During Vatican Workshop on Water Issues," Syracuse University News, March 21, 2017.

Publications

Confronting Climate Coloniality: Decolonizing Pathways for Climate Justice (Routledge, 2025).

Provides clear explanations of and insights into tackling how legacies of colonialism, resource extraction, geopolitical inequities and social injustices have shaped the causes of the climate crisis and shape its responses at global and local levels. Challenges readers to look beyond just emissions and focus on how power operates: who benefits, who decides & who benefits. Examples from around the world are given.

"Plural Climate Storylines to Foster Just Urban Futures" (with Maria Rusca, Alice Sverdlik, Amitangshu Acharya, Britt Basel, Emily Boyd, Thaisa Comelli, David Dodman, Arabella Fraser, Dylan Matthew Harris, Sara Lindersson, Maurizio Mazzoleni, Marcellus Forh Mbah, Diana Mitlin, Anshu Ogra, Mark Pelling, Elena Raffetti, Erica Thompson, Arianna Tozzi, Margreet Zwarteveen, and Gabriele Messori). Nature Cities 1 (2024): 732–740.

Develops the plural climate storylines framework to complement existing physical climate storylines, which have strengthened the usability of climate projections yet struggled to generate action for just climate futures.

"Interventions on Public Geographies" (with Reece Jones, Austin Kocher, Deondre Smiles, Kendra McSweeney, and Petra Molnar). Political Geography 111, no. 5 (2024).

Looks at the wide array of public-facing work that geographers do, the public intellectual work of educating the public, informing policymaking, collaborating with diverse constituents, having far-reaching impacts beyond academia and policy into radical changes on the ground in meaningful change. Exemplars are provided by different scholars working on different topics.

"How to Achieve Safe Water Access for All: Work with Local Communities" (with Tara McAllister, Suparana Katyaini, and Michael D. Blackstock). Nature 627 (2024): 732-734.

A reflective piece about how safe water access around the world is not just about available quantities of water or policies of water management, but about ensuring access, justice, and listening to communities.

"Whose Growth in Whose Planetary Boundaries? Decolonising Planetary Justice in the Anthropocene" GEO: Geography and Environment 10 (2023).

Examines the geopolitics of planetary environmental injustice and the imperative for systems change to address the intertwined crises of climate breakdown and unsustainable economic growth. Argues that climate breakdown has heightened attention to uneven anthropogenic use and abuse of the planet's biosphere and common pool resources and offers alternate pathways for flourishing.

"Critical Climate Justice" The Geographical Journal 188, no. 1 (2022): 118-124.

Provides clear definition and actionable points on climate justice. Argues that climate justice is about paying attention to how climate change impacts people differently, unevenly, and disproportionately, as well as redressing the resultant injustices in fair and equitable ways.