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

Gudalur’s Gene Pool Garden is an example of participatory forest management

An enthusiastic conservation effort that was thwarted for want of funds, was finally converted into an eco-tourism centre through people’s …

Empowered local governance key for forest restoration and management, finds study

Tree planting drives alone cannot help address climate crisis and biodiversity loss, it highlights

Stuck in semantics: How confusions over forest land definitions keep benefits away from forest dwellers

Ministry believes that the Chhattisgarh government cannot transfer these lands for any purpose without the prior permission of the Government of India

Estimating the potential of community forest rights: What makes implementation challenging

Given the complexity of land and forest settlement in India and the poor quality of land records and maps available, generating an estimate is …

Ripe for a green economy

Forests are home, say women of Kodalpali, Sinduria and neighbouring villages in Odisha’s Nayagarh; they can build the economy of the future

Forest rights in Jharkhand: Too early to rejoice

Forest rights recognised in Jharkhand for the first time in 2 years, but do not give management rights

Forests can increase human immunity against pandemics like COVID-19

Our analysis shows that most of the COVID-affected areas in India are in states with lesser forest cover and vice versa

17 million South Africans live on communal land — new study of a rural valley offers insights on how to manage it

Combination of satellite imagery and local perceptions provides valuable insights about the extent, causes and impacts of land change in communal …

These 2 Odisha villages wrangle over forest land, but maintain harmony

The people of Tilabadi and Mittukuli share their resources, welcome guests and celebrate festivals together despite claiming a chunk of land …

What is India’s definition of forests? Sunita Narain in conversation with MD Madhusudan

An in-depth analysis done by Sunita Narain, director-general of the Centre for Science and Environment, has found that India cannot account for …

UNFF18: Sustainable forest management takes centre stage

Forests have the potential for reducing 5 gigatonnes of emissions, says delegates

Odisha to procure sal seeds from 9 districts; tribals say it’s too late

Several tribal people, mainly seed collectors, will be deprived of the procurement scheme, as the corporation will not collect from other districts

Forest losses occur primarily in lower-income tropical countries: Study

Tropical countries such as Indonesia, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo are losing forests quickly

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, …

Collective efforts can combat challenges faced by ultra-poor in Jharkhand

The intersection of caste, gender & occupational identities impacts their lives

Odisha forest department announces cash reward for rescuing gharials

Fishermen, whose nets are damaged by gharials, will also be compensated

Lack of political will, forest department opposition driving poor implementation of FRA, claims study

Forest Rights Act can help secure rights and ensure livelihoods to at least 200 million people including tribals, say independent researchers

India’s forest cover increased during 2019-2021. Is it really as good as it sounds?

Moderately dense forests declined between 2021 and 2019. In 2021-2011, the country lost 4.3% of area under moderately dense forests

Climatisation caused by commercialisation has reduced forest governance to carbon sinks

State regulation and community-led initiatives could offer better pathways for effective forest governance, the report at UN Forum on Forests suggests

Simply Put: ‘Crypto’ forests

Villagers oppose declaring ‘orans’ as deemed forests, fearing loss of access and livelihood

Legal experts say declaring sacred groves as deemed forest will not hinder community rights

Wildfires: New York City’s orange skies raise environmental questions

The dystopian orange skies are due to the flames that have been raging north of the US-Canada border

Indigenous communities must be at the centre of sustainable agrifood systems: FAO director-general 

Four-day event will also be accompanied by release of two reports on global forest sector and mainstreaming biodiversity

Villagers unaware of forest rights find it ‘too good to be true’

Odisha village applies for forest rights title 15 years later; many villages still unaware, says NGO