Forest conservation and conflicts

India’s forests

According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, forest cover was about 21.7% of India’s geographical area, and forest plus tree cover together about 24.6%. The National Forest Policy, 1988 set a goal of one-third (33%) of the land under forest or tree cover, and two-thirds in hills and mountains. India has tropical evergreen, tropical deciduous (the most widespread), thorn, montane and mangrove (e.g. the Sundarbans) forests.

Conflicts over forests

Tribal and forest-dweller rights: many communities have lived in and depended on forests for generations. Colonial forest laws made them “encroachers”. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 recognises their rights to land, forest produce and community management. A conflict remains between strict protection of areas for wildlife and the rights of people living there.

People’s movements:

• Bishnoi sacrifice (1730): at Khejarli in Rajasthan, Amrita Devi and many Bishnois gave their lives to protect khejri trees.
• Chipko (1973 onwards): villagers in the Garhwal Himalaya hugged trees to stop commercial felling; leaders included Chandi Prasad Bhatt and Sunderlal Bahuguna.
• Appiko (1983): a Chipko-like movement in the Western Ghats of Karnataka.

Tourism: brings income but also crowds, vehicles, hotels and waste into fragile areas.

Poaching: illegal killing for tiger parts, rhino horn and elephant ivory. Rhinos at Kaziranga (Assam) and tigers across India have been targets.

Roads and dams: roads cut habitats into pieces, cause road-kills and open forests to logging and settlement; dams submerge forests and displace forest communities.

Key points

• ISFR 2021: forest cover ≈ 21.7%; forest + tree cover ≈ 24.6%.
• National Forest Policy 1988 target: 33% (two-thirds in hills).
• Forest Rights Act, 2006.
• Bishnoi 1730 (Amrita Devi); Chipko 1973; Appiko 1983.

Exam tips

Learn movement–place–year matches. For the 33% target, remember it is a policy goal, not the present cover.

Common mistakes

• Quoting 33% as India’s actual forest cover.
• Mixing up Appiko (Karnataka) with Chipko (Uttarakhand).
• Thinking the Forest Rights Act is a wildlife law; it is a rights law for forest dwellers.