One step too far: Madras High Court ban on forest grazing may hurt on forest dwellers, biodiversity

Madras High Court's decision to ban cattle grazing in Tamil Nadu's forests will have far-reaching impacts on forest-dwelling communities and …

Has COVID-19 affected forest management? UN says quite a lot

Around 1.6 billion people rely on forests for their subsistence needs and livelihoods; COVID-19 is driving vulnerable communities into forests, …

Despite having forest rights titles, two Kalahandi villages denied transit permit

The forest department has been misusing the transit permit, which is essential to sell kendu leaf, a lucrative Minor Forest Produce

If passed, new forest policy will benefit private sector and hurt local ecology: experts

The draft policy talks about developing “public private participation models” for undertaking “afforestation and reforestation …

Cannot evict tribals from tiger reserves without their consent: NCST

Earlier, NTCA rejected forest rights under the Forest Rights Act, 2006 in tiger reserves

Forest fire mitigation strategies in Madhya Pradesh should prioritise tribal communities

Local communities, government agencies, non-profits and researchers must work together to mitigate forest fires and build resilient socioeconomic …

Draft amendment to Forest Conservation Act may dilute protection to forests

The proposed draft, accessed by Down to Earth, may grant exemptions to railways, roads, tree plantations, oil exploration, wildlife …

Extensive amendment to forest law will dehumanise forests

The proposed amendment comes at a time when forest dwellers’ rights are being threatened even when there is FRA

Study urges government to grant community rights to local forest dwellers

In tribal-dominated areas of the country, forests have always been traditionally managed by local communities

Summer bushfires: How are the plant and animal survivors 6 months on? We mapped their recovery

Australia roared into 2020 as a land on fire. The human and property loss was staggering, but the damage to nature was equally hard to fathom

Class room

How bamboo was liberated

Forest dwellers march for their rights

State governments reject 50 per cent of the 3.15 million claims filed under Forest Rights Act

MoEFCC’s actual expenditure reduced by nearly 20% of budget estimates: Parliamentary report

The committee noted a drastic reduction under the National Coastal Mission 2023-24

Lip service

In Odisha’s Nayagarh, 24 villages receive community & forest resource rights

Traditional forest management systems have been recognised for title distribution for the first time in India

Ten years of FRA: only 3 per cent of forest dwellers’ rights recognised

Collective rights to undo historic injustice meted out to indigenous people remain completely ignored by the states, says Citizens’ report

Graduates in forest education ill-equipped to handle sector’s emerging demands: Report

African forest education needs transformation as it is currently based on traditional European education, which focuses more on industrial wood …

Web-GIS platform created in Chhattisgarh to resolve conflict while filing CFR claims

Creators admit shortcomings in the platform but say they are not final authority on land rights and boundaries

Weak governance escalating deforestation in Tanzania: FAO report

Of the total land area (88.3 mn hectares) in the African country, 55% is under forest cover. According to 2017 estimates, deforestation occurred …

Indian Forest Act amendment: Govt ready with first draft

The draft, which has been prepared with focus on conservation and climate change, has been sent to states seeking comments

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

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

Simply Put: Industrial rights