Forests

Ten myths and fallacies about afforestation

It is no panacea for increasing green cover

Forests

What an Indian environmentalist in Brazil has to say on the Amazon fires

Kerala-born environmental scientist Shaji Thomas, who has been working in the Amazon for the past 25 years, shares his thoughts on the infernos in the rainforest

Forests

‘The fight to save the Amazon is urgent as there is no Plan B’

One of Brazil’s most noted indigenous voices, Sonia Guajajara, speaks on the Amazon fires

Forests

Goa’s private forests, a last defence against global warming

The government needs to work on incentives for people to hold on to private forests rather than sell them

Forests

Forest rights: Forgotten histories or deliberate ignorance?

Incomplete verification of rights under FRA fail to redress the historical injustice meted out to forest dwelling communities

Forests

Native tree species are climate resilient, maintain ecological balance

Introducing exotic species and promoting monoculture plantations in forest areas, village common lands have caused disastrous impacts on the ecology and socio-economic condition of local communities

Forests

Planting forests no panacea for the climate crisis: IPCC

The IPCC’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land says land-based carbon sinks are not limitless

Forests

Forest Rights Act: A litmus test for govt to protect forest dwellers

It is now the turn of the BJP-led central government, which won 38 out of 48 reserved seats for Scheduled Tribes across the country, to stand by its promises

Forests

How the conservation potential of FRA has been wilfully undermined

The environment ministry hasn’t quite understood and accepted the FRA nor has it shown the required urgency to formulate plans for establishing critical wildlife habitats, which are consistent with the FRA's provisions

Forests

Revisiting the tigers vs tribals trope

Instead of rejecting forest dwellers rights over land to conserve wildlife, a sincere and responsible implementation of FRA must be sought

Forests

CAMPA funds should be used to conserve nature

Increase in funding has not resulted in significant increase in forest cover

Forests

Wanted: Better governance models for India’s forests

While the Forest Rights Act empowered Gram Sabhas to manage and conserve forests, the Joint Forest Management mechanism could not succeed due to the involvement of forest officials

Forests

10 interventions government must make to protect forest rights

BJP-led NDA has won 38 out of 48 reserved seats for Scheduled Tribes across the country, of which a majority is from forest-rich areas

Forests

Let people-centric natural resource governance be the new regime’s agenda

India must strengthen the mechanisms of natural resource management that is people-centric and sustainable to ensure economic and social stability

Forests

Who's right for the forest anyway?

Reflections on Supreme Court order to evict ‘illegitimate’ tribals from the forests

Forests

Why has no Indian political party come out with a road map on afforestation?

If political parties choose to ignore addressing this important concern, NOTA may remain the only option for people like me

Forests

Tribal communities suffer when evicted in the name of conservation

The tribal communities are paying a brutal price for governments' agenda to boost safari, create protected areas and attract tourism

Forests

The Indian Forest Act’s proposed amendment is dangerous and fanciful

Like other policies in the recent past, this one also shows the complete unwillingness of the forest bureaucracy in accepting a different role

Forests

'Progressive' Maharashtra governor must step in to save tribal land, rights

Communities expect Ch Vidyasagar Rao to stop massive diversion of their lands to sundry government projects

Forests

The rediscovery of wild food plants

While India is slowly rediscovering such plants, the forests must be co-managed by tribal communities in order to preserve them for posterity

Forests

'Village forests have been pitted against community rights'

The proposed amendment of IFA is an attempt to keep power in the hands of the forest bureaucracy by playing up village forests against community forest rights currently exercised by gram sabhas