Forest Policies, Laws, and Governance in India

The book delves into the intricate relationship between India’s forest governance, laws, and policies over time, examining their effects on the quality and coverage of the country’s forests. Historically, especially during the British era and the initial phase following independence, forests were valued for timber, leading to increased deforestation to fulfill the rising demands of shipbuilding, railways, residential construction, and industry. The economic benefits derived from converting forest land for developmental purposes were a key factor in this trend. However, recent statistics indicate that except Maharashtra, most of the forest rich states including MP and Chhattisgarh have lagged in economic development. The history of overexploitation and diversion for non-forestry use has also led to less forest area per capita. India has lost tree biomass much more than its productivity potential, and the average biological productivity of Indian forest is much below the global average. It is extremely important to restore the health of natural forests which are, by far, the best and a highly cost-effective carbon sequestering machine provided by nature.

The book also provides research data, both at national and global scales to convincingly put forward the contention that natural forests are sine qua non and under no circumstances can farm and roadside plantations, tea and coffee plantations, and orchards be a substitute for natural forest for three important reasons: (1) the influence of natural forest on rainfall, (2) the complexity in maintaining energy flow, and (3) the impact of natural forest or deforested sites on soil.