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| The rapidly growing Indian economy has implications for all sectors of the economy, including forestry. The societal demands on forests are becoming more diversified and rising faster than the capacity of forests to supply them on a sustainable basis. The widening gap is one of the main causes of forest degradation and loss of forest biodiversity that is taking place on an unprecedented scale, fast eroding the very basis of the livelihood of forest璬ependent communities. The existing administrative structure and functions, planning and control system, and research and training methods are all geared toward securing a sustained supply of timber, mainly from state forest reserves. A move toward more comprehensive multiple璾se forestry would require reorientation of forestry institutions by bringing within their mandate the production of goods and environmental services, both in and outside forests. A mismatch between the changing societal demands on forests and non璫hanging forestry institutions could slow down the growth or even allow the sector to stagnate, thereby accelerating forest degradation.
The themes are: The future of Indian forestry will depend on the provision of reliable data and inventories covering all aspects of the Indian forestry system. New data and inventories must be based on integrated assessments that take account of issues far beyond traditional forest璼ector analysis and map the root causes of the degradation and depletion of forest resources. These integrated assessments can then feed into an ongoing, institutionalized strategic planning process that result in integrated strategies and policies. The successful implementation of this strategic plan will require the restructuring of existing governance and institutions with respect to the forest sector. In essence, Indian forestry experts point to the need for an integrated concept for analysis, planning, and management of the Indian forest sector.
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| Keywords:Feasibility Analysis;Indian Forestry Sector;Forest management |
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