In India, forests play a vital role in the social, cultural, economic, and industrial development of the country and help to maintain India's ecological balance. These forests are important to the livelihood of India's tribal people. However, population growth, poverty, and a weak institutional framework have caused forest depletion and degradation, raising concerns about environmental safety. There is need for forest services to become more specialized and to receive political, infrastructural, and financial support. India's central and state governments must also alter their priorities and mindset. For too long, forests have been regarded as an earning sector. It is time to recognize forests as repository of biodiversity, natural heritage, and a provider of ecologic and biotic goods and services. The passage of India's Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 has set the scene for the correction of the historical injustice suffered by India's forest dwellers and tribal people. The effective implementation of the Act holds out the promise that the enormous bounty of natural resources that India's tribal areas are endowed with can be harnessed for the holistic development of the tribal people themselves. This book explains and examines various aspects of forest and wildlife policies, programs, and management in India.
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