Social Significance of Social Forestry in Developing Countries

2. Submitted To
Rina Aktar
Lecturer
Sociology Discipline
Khulna University , Khulna.
Social Significance of Social Forestry in
Developing Countries
Course Title : Social Forestry
Course No : FWT 3253
Submitted by
Pinky Bain
Student ID: 191612
Sociology Discipline
Khulna University , Khulna.

3. “
Introduction
Social
Forestry
Significance
of Social
Forestry
Social
Forestry in
Developing
Countries
Social
Significance
of Social
Forestry in
Developing
Countries
Conclusion
3
Outline

4. Introduction
In many countries around the world, people living in rural areas have lower incomes
and are generally less prosperous than their urban counterparts. Because of this , Govt.
often attempt to promote rural development through the development of natural
resources such as forests. Policies in developed countries tend to focus on increasing
income and employment, whereas in developing countries rural development often has
to meet more basic needs. The utilization of forest resources could generate significant
revenues for governments that could be used for rural development. A number of
developing countries have implemented forest polices that aim to help rural
communities (Ferdaous, 2018).
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5. Social Forestry
❧ Social Forestry is a forestry which aims at ensuring economic,
ecological, and social benefits to the people, particularly to the
rural masses and those living below poverty line, specially by
involving the beneficiaries right from the planning stage to the
harvesting stage.
❧ The term was first used in India in 1976 by The National
Commission on Agriculture, Government of India.
. 5

6. Significance of Social Forestry
Increased
Biodiversity
Carbon removal –
trees act as
carbon sinks!
Soil
conservation
Health Benefits
Community
enrichment
Noise reduction
Improve air
quality
Energy
conservation and
reducing overall
atmospheric
temperatures
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7. Social Forestry in Developing Countries
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❧ A developing country is generally defined as one
with a low level of industrial and/or economic
development, which leads directly or indirectly to
social, political, economic, and environmental
challenges that significantly impede quality of life
in that country.
❧ According to the UN, a developing country is a
country with a relatively low standard of living,
undeveloped industrial base, and moderate to low
Human Development Index (HDI).

8. (Source : World Bank ,2022)
8
Social Forestry in Developing Countries……Cont’d
Country Human
Development
Index (2019)
GNI Per
Capita (2020)
Population
(2022)
Bangladesh 0.632 2010 171,186,372
India 0.648 1900 1,417,173,173
Nepal 0.602 30,547,580
Bhutan 0.654 2860 782,455
Brazil 0.765 7850 215,313,498

9. Social Significance of Social Forestry in Developing
Countries
Social Forestry is viewed within the broader framework of
rural development in Bangladesh.
It primarily includes afforestation programmes in marginal and degraded forest
lands and community forest lands, village woodlots, farm forestry, strip
plantations alongside railways, highways and embankments, 'community
plantation’ on public lands with joint management and benefit-sharing
arrangement between the government and local communities, homestead forestry
and varied other manifestation of agro-forestry (Alim,1988 and Khan, 1998).
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10. Social Significance of Social Forestry in Developing Countries……Cont’d
10
 Providing
Medicine:
Many plants which
are found in forest
s have medicinal
qualities and are
added to daily
meals. Forest
products are used
as curative rather
than preventive
medicines.
 Agricultural
production:
(a)provide a direct source
of regularly utilized food
s, often in significantly gr
eater quantity and variety
that is generally recogniz
ed;
b)support sustainable
food and agricultural
production by helping
manage soil and wate
r systems and by
controlling wind.
 EMPLOYME
NT:
Employment
opportunities in
Bangladesh’s
forestry sector is
significant and
about 0.335
million rural poor
people are
engaged in social
forestry.
 Economic
solvency:
1. forests are a
source of plants and
animals which, when
naturally occurring,
can be taken,
processed and sold
for;
2. fruit-bearing
trees may be grown
as a source of cash
income;
 Sustaining food
security:
(a)Trees and forest
products play an
important role in
ensuring adequate
nutrition.
(b)By providing
nutrients,
forest products help
to improve health
of rural people.
 MAINTAINING CLIMATICAL CHANGE:
Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Many of its ecosystems, including mangrove
forests along the coast, are already affected and will likely suffer heavier damage as a result of increased floods,
drought, salinity, and river erosion.

11. Social Significance of Social Forestry in Developing
Countries……Cont’d
Social forestry ,in India, is an integral part of the
Gandhian philosophy of economic growth and
community development. It was being realized that
forests were under pressure because of the growing
population, and land was getting degraded due to
human activities. So The National Commission on
Agriculture of the Indian government used the term
“social forestry” for the first time in 1973.
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India

12. Social Forestry programs in India
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Gujarat was the first state in India to set
up a separate social forestry wing in
1970. In 1982, such woodlots had been
established in 4,000 of the total 20,000
villages of the State, with a total area of
28,000 ha.
Himachal Pradesh is a mountainous state
and Social forestry projects have been
going on in the state for quite some time.
Tamil Nadu forest
department launched way
back in 1956. Afforestation
of wastelands was started in
1960 mainly with tank
plantations.
In 1981, a World Bank aided
project was launched in the State.
West Bengal has the lowest per
capita forest area (0.02 ha) and
average population density is 610
persons per km2.
Social forestry was launched in U.P.
during the late sixties and early seventies.
In 1979, a programme was launched with
the aim of providing 45,000 ha of fuel and
fodder forests in Land along roads,
railway lines and canal banks.
Punjab is one of the most fertile
areas of India. It considered to be
the food basket of the country.
Himachal
Pradesh
West
Bengal
Uttar
Pradesh
Punjab Tamil
Nadu
Gujarat

13. Social Significance of Social Forestry in Developing
Countries……Cont’d
Forests in Nepal cover about 40% of the country and a great majority of the
population, which lives in rural areas, depends on forest resources for their
livelihood. Today, forests under community management represent more than one-
third of the total forest area.
Community forestry in Nepal has brought a number of benefits including an
increase in the forest area and in available water resources. It has helped to fight
against illegal logging by putting clear rules in place on timber access and a strong
system of forest monitoring. Community livelihoods have also improved with easier
access to firewood and fodder and better health care and energy access, for
example through money from ecotourism and subsidies for renewable energy.
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Nepal

14. Social Significance of Social Forestry in Developing
Countries……Cont’d
14
About 72% of Bhutan is covered with forests. Community forestry in Bhutan was
introduced in its current form relatively recently, in 2000. There are currently 36
approved community forests covering 2,914 ha, with 1,664 households managing
designated CF areas.
Forests are very important for the rural communities in Bhutan, as they supply many
products like timber, fuelwood, grazing fodder and vegetables. The CF Program in
Bhutan seeks to strengthen the link between people and forests and can make a
significant contribution to livelihood improvement, environmental conservation and
sustainable use of forests
Bhutan

15. 15
Social Significance of Social Forestry in Developing
Countries……Cont’d
Brazil’s forests constitute 13% of the global forest area and almost 30%
of the tropical forest area. They account for a significant proportion of
global terrestrial biodiversity and store about 20% of global above ground
forest carbon. Brazilian forests support the livelihood of people living in
and around them, especially in regions such as the Amazon and the
Northeast part of the country.
They may be a sustainable source of timber and non timber forest
products, and provide scope for services that are increasingly valued by
society, such as tourism, recreation, and water and soil conservation.
Brazil

16. Conclusion
❧ In developing Country, social forestry is
playing a vital role in preserving the
environment, which also helps alleviate rural
poverty.
❧ It is also supposed to ensure social and
economic benefits to the landless, poor,
widows and destitute rural people.
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17. References
❧ B Ali Syed Salamat, Social Forestry, Banglapedia (written in Bengali).
❧ Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS, 1991). Statistical Year Book of Bangladesh, Ministry of
Planning, Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka.
❧ Bangladesh Forest Department Website: www.bforest.gov.bd
❧ Forest Policy 1979, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of Bangladesh.
❧ Adler, E. (2001). Forest communities, community forests: A collection of case studies of community
forestry. J. Kusel (Ed.). Forest Community Research.
❧ Anonymous (2017). The center for people and forests. Advancing Sustainable Development Goal 5
on gender equality through community forestry in Asia. Annual Report, RECOFTC 2015-2016.
❧ www.environmentalpollution.in social-forestry-programmes-in-india
❧ www.worldbank.org lessons-community-forestry-redd-plus-brazil
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18. In the End of Presentation
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