Forest law amendment threatens existence of van panchayats
The amendment says that the government can take away the management rights in case it feels that the community is not managing the forest sustainably
‘Giving community rights to indigenous people will benefit nations, nature’
Environmental activist Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim speaks to Down To Earth about how these communities are solution providers for issues surrounding …
Forest fires caused due to collection of non timber forest produce: government report
Forest rights activists say that blaming the communities for fires is wrong and often it is forest department's interventions that …
India unlikely to meet carbon sink commitment
The current rate of afforestation is lower than what is needed to achieve the target
Draft National Forest Policy cleared; Cabinet to take decision
Experts say the focus of the draft will be on water conservation
Centre to give Indian Forest Act a facelift
The environment ministry has started comprehensively amending the Act by “weeding out” and updating obsolete provisions
MoEF&CC takes back advisory to avoid honeycombing of forest land under FRA
An official from the environment ministry says the advisory was withdrawn as there is no provision under the Forest Rights Act to club land together
Bamboo cultivation on India’s private lands can supply the incense stick industry
The incense stick industry can cut down on imports from East Asia if farmers grow bamboo locally
Coal mining to be allowed in non-forest areas after Stage I of forest clearance: Government
Environment ministry takes decision after coal ministry complains of delay in projects due to mining ban in these areas
Javadekar says 69,000 ha of forest land diverted, govt data differs
According to MoEFCC’s e-governance portal eGreen, 72,685 ha of forest land was diverted
States with more than 75% forest cover won't have to divert revenue land
Forest Advisory Committee decided this while suggesting that instead states with deficient green land should divert their non-forest land …
6,944,608 trees cut across India in last three years: MoEF&CC
6.2 crore trees were planted in their place as compensatory afforestation
Tribal affairs ministry constitutes committee on CFR guidelines under FRA
It was doing this as there had been no progress reported by states in recognising habitat rights despite its repeated clarifications
Top committee for diverting forests recommends penalties for violating projects
The Forest Advisory Committee has said the environment ministry imposes “inconsistent and arbitrary" penalties
With state under lockdown, J&K FAC issues record forest clearances
Since August 5, the Forest Advisory Committee of the state has cleared 125 projects on forest land in just three meetings
Chhattisgarh forest department expense avoidable: CAG
The department’s actions caused an excess expenditure of Rs 2.03 crore in the year 2014-15, says auditor
How a conversion ‘mistake’ made Maharashtra top forest rights performer for a decade
State’s ‘stellar achievement’ turns out to be a simple mathematical mistake raises doubt over government data
Himalaya’s magical grove
Apart from being a religious place, Hariyali Devi’s forests harbour several herbs
Premise of SC ruling on forest dwellers wrong: UN Special Rapporteur
Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, UN rapporteur on the rights of indigenous people, says tribals are treated like squatters all around the world
Activist arrested while protesting against upcoming biorefinery in Assam
Soneswar Narah was addressing a public meeting of residents affected by the biorefinery
Private funds for Madhya Pradesh forests: Beware of legal concerns, warn experts
MP government plans to hand over 37,420 sq km degraded forest to private companies for afforestation
It is legal, yet harvesting bamboo out of reach for these communities
Though bamboo can now be legally harvested, local communities are protesting as they face administrative hurdles
New Delhi Declaration dilutes role of international funding bodies, tenurial issues
Overall the Declaration has downplayed the role of global financial institutions, tenurial rights of people, and delinks UNCCD from other Rio …
Does the Supreme Court order mean eviction of forest dwellers right away?
Some reasons why the rejection of FRA does not amount to a claimant being an encroacher
Inside ad hoc forests
Government failure, both at the Centre and the states, is hurting communities and forests alike