The Indian forests are home to around 100 million people and provide sustenance to them. The paper traces the impacts of Indian forest polices, legislations on rights of communities and its links to conservation in the pre- colonial and post independent India.

In the last two decades, interest in financing sustainable forest management has been gathering momentum. However, most of the approaches have yet to be mainstreamed, and remain either as ideas or experimental in the Asia-Pacific region. On the other hand, some countries, particularly those in Latin America, have seen more innovative ideas already being implemented.

This report considers the measures that have been and might be undertaken to promote environmental co-benefits from REDD. Such measures may be linked to decisions on financing. The report surveys the measures that are found in existing REDD initiatives, including in the proposed UNFCCC REDD mechanism itself.

A comprehensive analysis of the Godavarman case instituted to address timber felling in the Nilgiri range of Tamil Nadu. Each and every order and its implications at state and national level has been analysed, to bring out not only the complexity of forest conservation in the country but also highlight various strategies adopted by Courts.