Final Project Report: Local Democracy in the Woods: Understanding Decentralised Forest: Governance through Forests Rights Act, 2006

Rout, Satyapriya (2024) Final Project Report: Local Democracy in the Woods: Understanding Decentralised Forest: Governance through Forests Rights Act, 2006. [Report]

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Abstract

In most developing societies, where the social world and the bio-physical world share an intrinsicrelationship, natural resources like forests have been the sites of contestation to define, negotiate andreconstruct the meaning and practice of democracy, social justice and environmental conservation. Inthese societies, the triadic relationship between livelihood security, resource dependency and societalwell-being, makes communities important stakeholders in forest governance and their involvementan integral part in decision-making over forest resources. Besides, to mediate the competing claims,counterclaims and conflicting interests in forest resources, democratic institutions become anessential framework for forest governance. Hence, the practice of social justice and environmentalconservation – two of the most crucial issues of public policy of contemporary times – demand “localdemocracy in the woods”. However, forest governance policies and laws in India till the mid-1980s –not excluding their colonial legacy – have reiterated the practice of exclusion, marginalisation anddisplacement of forest-dwelling tribal and other local communities to make way for environmentalconservation.

Item Type:	Report
Authors:	Rout, Satyapriya
Document Language:	Language English
Subjects:	Social sciences
Divisions:	Azim Premji University
Full Text Status:	Public
Note:	The research for this report was funded by the Azim Premji University. However, the opinions expressed in the report are that of the particular research team/organisation. They do not reflect the viewpoint of Azim Premji Foundation/University.
URI:	http://publications.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/id/eprint/5683
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