FORESTS AND WILDLIFE

Stakeholders

WHO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS?

The stakeholders are the ones that have a binding interest in forests as an asset. There are 4 stakeholders:i. Locals- the people who live in or around forests are dependent on forests for various aspects. ii. Forest departments- they own the land and control the resources from forests. iii. Industrialists- industries use forest produce as raw material but are not dependent on forests in any one area. iv. Nature enthusiasts- wildlife and nature enthusiasts who want to conserve nature in its pristine form.

LOCALS
Locals use firewood, timber and thatch for making huts and use as fuel. Bamboo is used for making huts, slats and baskets. They obtain food articles like fruits, nuts, honey and other edible things. On the basis of traditional knowledge, locals obtain a number of medicines from the forests. Implements for agriculture, fishing and hunting are largely made of wood also they are sites for fishing and hunting. The locals take their cattle for grazing in the forest and collect fodder for feeding the same.

FOREST DEPARTMENT
The British controlled forest activities hence, trees started to fall. The locals depended on smaller areas and over exploited them. In Independent India, The Forest Department converted vast tracks of forest cover to monocultures of pine, teak or eucalyptus. This destroys a massive amount of flora and fauna. These forests are useful for the requirements of industries and source of revenue to the forest department.

INDUSTRIALISTS
For industrialists, forests are a source of raw materials like wood, timber, rubber, medicines etc. They lobby the government to access these raw materials at artificially low prices. Their main goal is to obtain profit and they are ready to gamble flora and fauna for it. Next time, they will obtain land from another place and slowly degrade it as well.

NATURE ENTHUSIASTS
Nature enthusiasts are not directly dependent on forests but their opinion changes the management of forests. They originally prepared for the conservation of large animals but soon realized the necessity for conserving forests. Locals usually play the role of nature conservatives. The Bishnoi community conserves forests as it is a religious act. Amrita Devi Bishnoi sacrificed herself to save the `khejri trees of Khejrali.

CONSERVATION OF FORESTS
Deforestation is a growing worry for the human race as forests are the lungs of earth. Forests should be used in an environmentally and developmentally sound way. We must consider the idea of afforestation and reforestation to repair the damage. Plants required by industries must be planted separately so that the natural balance of forests is not disturbed. Grazing should be regulated. Agro forestry can reduce the pressure on forests and improve the landscape.

THANK YOU
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