Traditional Wisdom in Natural Resource Management: The Only Way to Conserve

This book is to answer an extremely important question: How is it possible that Uttaranchal has more forest cover than its mother state Uttar Pradesh despite having the same forest laws and the same bureaucracy? Is it because the people in Uttaranchal don’t know the value of wood, or they do not possess the necessary implements to cut it, or they do not know how to transport it? the efforts of the Government to implement its promise to the people under the Common Minimum Programme, by introducing the Scheduled Tribes (Recognition of forest Rights) Bill, 2005 in the Parliament, is an attempt to recognize the traditional rights of the forest dwellers through community access and control. India is also a signatory to the ILO Convention 169 of 1989. the Scheduled Tribes Bill seeks to undo the historical injustice done to the forest dwellers, tribals and nomads by giving land rights to them.