Social forestry in India focuses on managing and developing forests through afforestation on barren lands to support rural development and environmental benefits. It encourages community participation in afforestation and forest management, especially in degraded areas close to human settlements. The approach aims to meet the basic needs of the rural population and restore ecological balance, although traditional institutions face challenges from unrealistic policies.

1. Social Forestry in India
Priyanka Kureel
Dept of Regional Planning
School of Planning and Architecture Delhi

2.  Social forestry is management and development of forest with
afforestation on barren lands to achieve environmental benefit
and rural development.
 The term was first used by National Commission on
Agriculture, Government of India, in 1976 (sixth five year plan).
 The aim of taking the pressure off the forests and making use
of all unused and fallow land.
 This concept of village forests to meet the needs of the rural
people is not new. It has existed through the centuries all over
the country but it was now given a new character.

3.  Government forest areas that are close to human settlement
and have been degraded over the years due to human
activities needed to be afforested.
 Trees were to be planted in and around agricultural fields.
 Dominant rural population that still depends largely on
fuelwood and other biomass for their cooking and heating.
 Social forestry also aims at raising plantations by the common
man so as to meet these demands.
 Through the social forestry scheme, the government has
involved community participation, as part of a drive towards
afforestation, and rehabilitating the degraded forest and
common lands.

4.  Increasing Forest Area and Restoring Ecological Balance.
 Meeting Basic Rural Needs: Fuel, fodder, manure and fibre.
 Ensuring better Land Use:
checking soil erosion, facilitating reclamation of marginal
lands, checking water logging and by bringing about
monolithic integration of forestry, agriculture and animal
husbandry.
 Generation of Employment.
 Controlling Pollution.

5. Social
Forestry
Rural
Forestry
Community
Forestry
Agroforestry
Extension
Forestry
Farm
Forestry

6.  Farm Forestry
oIndividual farmers are being encouraged to plant trees
on their own farmland to meet the domestic needs of the
family.
oShade for the agricultural crops, as wind shelters, soil
conservation or to use wasteland.
oEconomic benefits.
 Extension Forestry
oPlanting of trees on the sides of roads, canals and
railways, along with planting on wastelands for helping in
increasing boundaries of forests.

7.  Rural Forestry
 Community Forestry
oCollectively implemented on communal land.
oLocal populations participate in the planning, establishing,
managing and harvesting of forest crops, and so receive a
major proportion of the socio-economic and ecological
benefits from the forest.
 Agro forestry
o Land use system which integrates trees and shrubs on
farmlands and rural landscapes to enhance productivity,
profitability, diversity and ecosystem sustainability.

8. Background
 Despite the limited availability of arable land in the region,
agriculture is the main occupation as majority of the
population (78.30%) is in the rural areas.
 Although socio-economic differentiation has increased,
large number of indigenous communities live in densely
forested areas and depend on them for their life and
livelihood.
 Forests in region are a source of livelihood for rural
residents and provide resources such as fodder, fuel-
wood, green manure, and construction timber.

9.  Community forest Management in Uttarakhand takes
place in the village forests or panchayat forests
(forests as categorized into reserved, protected and village
forests in by Indian Forest Act 1927).
 The community or panchayat forests are managed by Van
Panchayats.
 The area under each Van Panchayat ranges from a fraction
of a hectare up to over 2,000 hectares.
 There are around 6069Van Panchayats in Uttarakhand.
 Plantation and maintenance works in these forests is
done byVan Panchayats.

10.  Community forests managed in accordance with Van
Panchayat Act is a hybrid of state ownership and
community responsibility.
 In its efforts to manage and control community forest use
Forest committees are guided by Revenue Department
rules and by the technical advice of the Forest
Department.
 Access and use of forests is guided by rules elaborately
designed and implemented by the communities.

12. Distribution of Van Panchayats

13. Panchayat Forest in a Village in Almora district.

14.  To develop and protect forests by preventing indiscriminate
felling of trees.
 To ensure that there is no encroachment on Van Panchayati
land and that no rules are being violated.
 To construct and fix boundary pillars and to maintain them.
 To carry out the directives of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate in
developing and protecting forests.
 To distribute its produce amongst right holders in an equitable
manner.
 20% of the area of the forest must be closed for grazing every
year.

15.  Village Joint Forest Management (VJFM), implemented by the
Forest Department, in 1997.
 JFM Rules enables the department to become the dominant
partner in the management of Van Panchayat and civil forest
lands.
 The VJFM Rules also provide for forming Village Forest
Committees (VFCs) where there is noVan Panchayats.
 Whereas linking community forest management institutions
with those of local government is highly desirable, the order
for constituting Village Forest Committees is a top down,
mechanical prescription.

16.  Social forestry is a noble concept in which community plays
the most important role in implementation.
 If implemented with appropriate institutional framework
proves highly successful in benefiting the environment as well
as the community.
 Traditional institutions are an excellent example of state-
people partnership which has been relatively successful in
managing forest resources in the region through social
forestry.
 These Institutions are facing challenges from unrealistic and
target driven policies which would affect its democratic
functioning.
 There is a need to replicate such institutions in other areas
rather than interfering with the existing ones.

17.  Teri University, Social Forestry in India, 2008,
http://edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/forestry/social.htm
 Prakash Dongre, Role of Social Forestry in Sustainable development, International Journal of
Social Sciences and Humanity StudiesVol3, 2011
 Gabriel Campbell, Monitoring and Evaluation of Social Forestry in India, Food and Agriculture
Organization of United Nations, 1986
 J S Rawat,Van Panchayat and Forest Management in Uttarakhand, Science and Cultivation,
2012
 Pampa Mukherjee, Community Forests in India andVan Panchayats of Uttaranchal,World
Forestry Congress, 2003
 Promoting Self Sufficiency through Carbon Credits from Conservation and Management of
Forests, Department of International Development, Community and Environment, Clark
University, 2007