ABSTRACT:
Forests are deemed to be the “green lung” of a nation. They are vulnerable and are being threatened by uncontrolled degradation and conservation to other kinds of land uses, largely influenced by human centric needs and ecocentrically harmful management system, for example, lack of adequate techniques to control forest fire, unsustainable commercial logging, over gazing, economic incentives and so on. Thus it is timely to recognize the worth of indigenous cosmology and recognize the rights of the forest dwellers over the forest areas inhabited by them. Top down approach of forest governance has adversely affected the forests and thus time has come to have a radical shift from the top down model of governance to bottom top approach since it is now being proved beyond doubt that indigenous understanding of nature is more eco friendly and lead to better sustenance of forest. The paper shall focus on the Indian system of forest governance, laws and policies adopted so far and how far it has been successful in sustaining forest resources through decentralized method of forest management as has been laid down in Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.