Duty on minor produce will violate forest rights: Experts
The first draft to amend Indian Forest Act proposes to impose duty on minor produce that several tribals depend on for livelihood
Five African countries pledge to curb illegal timber trade
Urge consumer countries to include the issue of illegal timber as priority agenda in their summits
Climate change is playing spoilsport in kendu leaf collection across eastern India; here’s how
Rains, instead of heat and dust storms during April and May, have led to a proliferation of flies which are bothering collectors
Climate change projects aren't working because communities are left out
Unless they trust climate change programmes, communities will continue to plunder forests rendering such interventions redundant
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 …
When laws make out laws
Everybody's a loser. Forest guards die for laws that cannot be defended. Poor people get exploited. Veerappan rules the jungle. Sandalwood trees …
Orphaned by apathy
Hidden from the outside world, this is the plight of the Van Taungiyas. They were hired during the British rule as resident labourers to plant …
In the tax bracket again
The Orissa government has slapped a forest development tax on three minor forest produce items -- tendu leaf, timber and bamboo. Seen as a …
Peace isn't elusive
After the Pulwama terror strike, the Kashmir debate has reopened. We bring to you an older article from brighter times, which underscores the …
Forest states want money in lieu of felling
On August 1, 2003, Madhya Pradesh made a plea in the Supreme Court seeking a fund-generating mechanism for forest protection. Earlier, in June, …
THE SECOND INDEPENDENCE
Tiny forgotten villages teach India a firsthand lesson in governance. Down To Earth reporters and photographers fan out to six states to discover …
Timber companies plundering Congo’s rainforests, says report
A probe by non-profit Global Witness shows that timber companies are defying forest protection laws and underpaying taxes to plunder natural resources
COVID-19: Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda writes to chief ministers over livelihood of tribals
It is imperative to initiate proactive measures for the well-being of tribes, the minister writes
At loggerheads
While the state government is keen to introduce JFM, villagers say there is no need for that since they have been carrying out all protection …
Message in a baton
The decades after Independence saw rampant destruction of trees. This was followed by years of drought. It was then that the villagers realised …
Kalahandi Gram Sabhas write to NCST, invoke atrocities act against Jharkhand DFO
DFO illegally seized consignment of kendu leaves being transported from Odisha to West Bengal, federation of Gram Sabhas alleges
Fall of the paragon
Century-old teak plantation business loses ground in India because of poor management and short-sighted policies
COVID-19: Kendu leaf procurement hits roadblock in Odisha
State forest officials deter Kalahandi district’s village to procure kendu leaves through gram sabha
How FRA helped India’s forest communities during COVID-19
Stories of hope have been reported from across the tribal areas of how communities survived due to FRA even as attempts have been made to dilute it
Kerala’s Kadars continue fight for assertion of their community forest rights
Their Gram Sabhas have passed resolutions under the Forest Rights Act as work has progressed on the Anakkayam Small Hydro Power Project
Chipping away
Time was, when the Saranda forest cover was so dense that even the sun's rays couldn't penetrate it. Ironically, denudation has driven the region …
Red Sandalwood export gets nod
Centre allows Andhra Pradesh to export 8,500 tonnes of unfinished woodÔÇêseized in crackdowns
At the crossroads
As the debate continues, the Northeast must stamp the decision: log out of forest bureaucracy and log in to local-based prosperity
The verdict
Read between the lines: the Supreme Court order has a development model hidden for the Northeast
The accused
Governments clinically interpret the ban to make space for the forest bureaucracy, alienating people from their own habitats