Forest Rights Act: Who is the encroacher and who is encroached upon
Thirteen years after a historic law was formulated to give forest dwellers legal ownership of their traditional land, their fate still hangs in …
Uttarakhand sits on forest right claims settlement for two years in a row
With the state assembly election around the corner, the model code of conduct is the favourite excuse for non implementation of FRA
10 highlights of the new draft national forest policy
On June 15, India's environment ministry placed the draft national forest policy in public domain for comments and suggestions. It is slated …
The sad plight of India's forestry graduates
Forest graduates are being sidelined in favour of science graduates in the State Forest Service
Return our forests
S C Tripura, a Congress party member of the Tripura legislative assembly, talks to Nitin Sethi about the consequences of …
COVID-19 has aggravated challenges to manage forests: UN Report
New UN report calls for greater sustainability and a greener, more inclusive economy to tackle the threats of COVID-19, climate change and …
Spirit of forest law being quashed in Gujarat
Petitioners approach Gujarat High Court over rejection of 1,13,000 claims out of the 1,82,000 individual claims from across the 13 districts
Himachal Pradesh’s decision to put wasteland in land bank undermines FRA
The state’s request to put degraded forest land in a land bank comes at a time when the government has been dragging its feet on …
Making a killing
Only poachers profit from rules and regulations that alienate local people from natural resources
Lack of indigenous people’s participation big barrier to mainstreaming of biodiversity: FAO
Some 15 per cent of global forests are managed as community resources by indigenous peoples and local communities
Missing the woods: The story of India’s vanishing forests in 20 cards
Some 25.87 million hectares of forest is missing from the latest assessment of India’s green cover. Here are some cards that tell the story
Centre uses SC order to turn forest land into revenue land
11-year-old order for relocating three Maharashtra villages used for conversion in 18 states
Rules to implement Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act to be finalised by January 3
The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act was passed to restore forest cover which was lost due to diversion of forest land
New forest policy for mining in limbo as Centre yet to act on important recommendations
Two institutions prepared the road map for the future of mining in forest areas, but the Ministry remains undecided
US puts a price on Sri Lanka's forests
The US congress has reportedly approved a $5-million waiver, thereby quantifying the debt-for-nature swap offer made to Sri Lanka more than two …
Forest Survey Report 2021: 11 states have lost forest cover; 21 have lost good forests
India’s forest cover has increased by just 1,540 sq km in two years, mostly due to plantation and agroforestry
Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (May 6, 2019)
Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
Madhya Pradesh forest department violates FRA, seizes tendu leaves from tribals
The leaves were reportedly confiscated as the women were selling them to buyers other than the forest department
Celebrating WSF 2004
When 80,000 people talk it makes noise. So it wasn't unusual for the fourth World Social Forum (WSF) in Mumbai to be snidely called a huge '…
Six-fold increase in forest fires as temperatures rise in many states
The Forest Survey of India’s large forest fires monitoring programme data shows that there are 192 large, active fires in the country today
Forests can keep our planet cool
Improving our forests and farm practices offers a low-risk path for climate mitigation, while securing the lives of traditional communities
Tribal ministry tells states to stop rejecting FRA claims on invalid grounds
In a letter dated June 27, Leena Nair, the then secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs had written to the chief secretaries of states raising …
Top committee for diverting forests recommends penalties for violating projects
The Forest Advisory Committee has said the environment ministry imposes “inconsistent and arbitrary" penalties
How not to grow trees
Planting a tree is now bound up in so much restriction and red tape that it is not worth the effort
Forest conservation receives government recognition
The 14th Finance Commission of India has reinforced the idea of incentivising states for keeping areas under forests