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Social Forestry Program in India History, Features, Objectives, Aim, Purpose, Benefit
National Commission on Agriculture Social Forestry Program History, Meaning, Features, Benefits, Applications
Social forestry means the management and protection of forest and afforestation of barren and deforested lands with the purpose of helping environmental, social and rural.
The term, social forestry, was first used in 1976 by The National Commission on Agriculture, Government of India.
The Indian government is trying to increase forest areas that are close to human settlement and have been degraded over the years due to human movements needed to be afforested.
Trees were to be planted in and around agricultural fields.
Plantation of trees along railway line and roadsides, and river and canal banks were carried out.
They were planted in the village common land, government wasteland, and Panchayat land.
Social forestry scheme was initiated in India to increase fuel availability in rural areas and to prevent soil erosion.
This programme was a failure because of the lack of governance it is important to know that social forestry includes maximum utilization of land for several purposes.
This need for a social forestry scheme was felt as India has a dominant rural population that still depends largely on fuelwood and other biomass for their cooking and heating.
Social forestry helps achieve a balanced and viable land use by checking soil erosion, facilitating reclamation of marginal lands, checking waterlogging and by bringing about the monolithic integration of forestry, agriculture and animal housekeeping.
