This paper considers the relationship between the emergence and development of state forestry institutions in forested landscapes of West Bengal and the chronic and acute poverty of citizens living there. At least 13% of West Bengal

This paper assesses the extent to which the Forest Rights Act 2006, the most significant institutional reform of rights in forested landscapes since Independence, is
being implemented across West Bengal, and whether it is contributing to the alleviation of the chronic and acute poverty prevalent in these areas of the state.

This recent paper examines Forest Rights Act 2006 to analyse whether its detailed provisions are likely to fulfil its ambitious mandate. It discusses the  complementary institutional reform required for strengthening the law’s provisions & the limited attention this has so far received.

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) initiatives are more likely to be effective in reducing emissions if they build on, rather than conflict with, the interests of local communities and indigenous groups (referred to henceforth as

This paper analyses historical origins of forest rights deprivation and contemporary processes through which local people are seeking to restore their forest rights, taking the case of the Indian Forest Rights Act 2006 as an example to illustrate wider issues in historical institutional theory.