After supporting India's forestry programmes for almost two decades, the World Bank now is moving toward arrogating to itself governance of the country's forests.
The killing of tigers and of forest guards in Ranthambore is the result of a conservation strategy that took away the rights of the local people and made them willing allies of poachers.
Wood-based firms want to convert forest areas to their own use for raw material. In doing so, they ignore the fate of millions of rural poor, who are dependent on forest lands.
The attack on a Bangalore seed company was reported as the start of a farmers' movement against globalisation of agriculture. Now, some farmers find the GATT proposals beneficial.
KRISHNA B Ghimire, who is a project coordinator with the UN Research Institute for Social Development in Geneva, has done extensive research on environment and sustainable development. Currently involved with intensive case studies in Brazil, central Amer
The total preservation policy has alienated people living in and around national parks and caused much harm to the forests. Experts say effective conservation will not be possible unless this policy is reversed.
A scheme under which 75,000 families were to each get and maintain two ha of forest land has been put on hold following fears that it would privatise common land that provides firewood and fodder.
The pressing need for foreign exchange is being cited as the reason for the government giving in to demands from timber traders to be allowed to export.
