Recently, on discovering that I work in the forest department, a lady co-passenger in a flight asked, “Are you people really doing anything for the forests?” The unconcealed taunt set me and my friends discussing with the sceptic the scenario of green governance in India. How are we managing our …
The JFM programme faces existential crisis. On the one hand, pieces of legislation like the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, and the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act, 1996, have come into existence, giving rights to tribals and forest dwellers over forest resources and their management. On the other …
About two years ago, a fire broke out in the Biligiri Rangaswami Temple Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka. The police arrested 35 community leaders of Soliga tribe for causing the fire. Five people still have cases against them. Yet the forest community recently submitted a bold proposal to the Centre advocating …
THE Union government is reviewing its landmark initiative, the Forest Rights Act, four years after enacting it. The aim is to find how to strengthen the law which was legislated to ensure the traditional rights of 100 million forest dwelling people in the country. Two high-level groups submitted their assessment …
Two tribal villages in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra—Mendha Lekha and Marda— savoured victory when they won community rights over their forest resources in August last year. The rights conferred under the Forest Rights Act of 2006 include the right to collect and sell minor forest produce (MFP). These include tendu …
Wildlife conservation in India is facing monumental challenges. To withstand the onslaught of development and other threats, it is essential to understand how different wildlife conservation models have fared and what needs to be done. Gha zala Shahabuddin’s Con ser vation at the Crossroads does exactly that. Well researched, succinct …
The Public Consultations Report on Green India Mission, one of the eight missions under National Action Plan on Climate Change. It has been prepared by Centre for Environment Education (CEE) for the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) On May 24, 2010, the Ministry of Environment & Forests released a …
This study of the implementation of the Forest Rights Act 2006 in the Western Ghats of Kerala identifies the main constraints to the working of the legislation. Community rights and conservation provisions seem to be ignored. The paper also highlights the importance of integrating the implementation of the fra with …
The Gauhati High Court, in a landmark judgment, has ruled that Chakma refugees could be evicted from the reserve forest land illegally occupied by them in Diyun Reserve Forest under Arunachal's Changlang district. According to official sources here today, the court observed that the Chakma settlers in their petitions have …
Fifteen notorious wildlife poachers, who were creating havoc in Manas Biosphere area, surrendered before the Assam Forest and Wildlife Department officials in Chirang district of the state. Divisional forest officer of Chirang district, B N Patiri informed that the poachers surrendered at Kuklung Range of Manas Biosphere Reserve area and …
Finding a place to stay in the remote and far-flung areas would no longer be a problem, especially for trekkers and wildlife lovers, as accommodation will be made available in 400 forest rest houses the booking for which will shortly be provided on the website of the Himachal Tourism Development …
It represents half of the world's rainforest and is home to one-third of Earth's species, yet the Amazon has one of the highest rates of deforestation : a report.
Deterrent: Subrat Mohapatra, District Forest Officer (left), inspecting fence erected along Semmalai reserve forest in Tiruchi district The Forest Department has erected solar-powered electric fence on some stretches along the periphery of a few Reserve Forests in the district in an effort to prevent animals from entering human habitations and …
The T N Godavarman vs Union of India case in the Supreme Court, also known as the "forest case", is an example of the judiciary overstepping its constitutional mandate. The court has effectively taken over the day-to-day governance of Indian forests leading to negative social, ecological and administrative effects.
This publication, the main report of the forestry outlook study of West and Central Asia, provides a long-term perspective of changes in the forest sector. Implemented in partnership with the countries, the study covered 23 countries in West Asia, Central Asia and the southern Caucasus. This report outlines the probable …
This study presents information on fire in greater depth than was possible in FRA 2005, including its incidence, impact and management in different regions of the world. It recognizes that not all fires ware destructive and that fire management is an essential part of sustainable forest management. Indeed, some ecosystems …
The main aim of this study was to facilitate access to comprehensive and comparable information on the current and past extent of mangroves in the 124 countries and areas where mangroves are known to exist, highlighting information gaps and providing updated information that may serve as a tool for mangrove …
FRA 2005 examines current status and recent trends for about 40 variables, covering the extent, condition, uses and values of forests and other wooded land, with the aim of assessing all benefits from forest resources. In the main section of this report, results are presented according to six themes representing …
