A step back

Recent amendments to Uttarakhand's Van Panchayat rules push the state into a risk zone. The state must usher in forest reforms to rescue community forest governance

- JYOTSNA SITLING

AS REPOSITORIES of forests, water sources, biodiversity and carbon sinks, mountain states underpin India's ecological security while supporting millions downstream. Strengthening local environmental governance, community stewardship and green livelihoods in these regions is therefore essential, not just for conservation but for economic resilience of the country.

The importance of this balancing act is evident in Uttarakhand, which has 45.5 per cent—24,305 sq km—under forest cover, according to the India State of Forest Report 2021. A 2018 government-sponsored study by the Indian Institute of Forest Management pegs the value of ecosystem services offered by its forested landscape at ₹95,000 crore a year. But this opportunity is now at a growing risk from forest fires, natural disasters and human-wildlife conflicts. This article argues that recent amendments to the Panchayati Van Niyamawali (PVN), 2005, have pushed the state into such a risk zone.

Van panchayats are legally recognised democratic, community-based institutions that manage (protect, conserve and equitably distribute forest resources such as fodder and firewood) local forests. They are unique to Uttarakhand since 1931, and the backbone of participatory forest management. Some 11,217 van panchayats manage 4,526.44 sq km of community forest contiguous with reserve forests, protected areas and revenue forests, supporting over 1 million rural families, according to the Census 2011. Yet instead of being strengthened, van panchayats today face an unprecedented policy regression—one that jeopardises local governance, ecological resilience and emerging green-economy opportunities.