Land and forest resource management for economic betterment of weaker sections in rural India

Abstract

The importance of providing the poor man with an opportunity to perceive and participate in the process of economic development has long since been realised. An examination of some past and current policies in India, however, idnicated that the results have not been commensurate with the size of the effort or the problems, and some of the efforts appeared to focus on "tension management". Scientific management of inter-related natural resource systems could maximize sustainable outputs of goods and services, and provide employment to the rural poor. Forest land is one of India's major resources but little conscious effort has been directed to appropriately harness the same.