In wake of the shrinking forest cover,
governments across the world have been perplexed by the question of reconciling the
rights of tribals and the concern for effective forest
conservation. Both of them have got their stakes in the conservation of forests.
Governments are striving hard to conserve the endangered biodiversity reserves and also want to ensure the regular supply for their industrial needs. For tribes, the stakes in the conservation of forests are even higher as forests are the sole sustainers of their livelihood. Their very existence depends on the access to the forest resources. The policies and practices pursued by governments have excluded tribals from the ambit of conservation and thus discouraged their participation. Hence, threatening their survival. This paper relates to the global literature on this predicament.
Keywords: Tribals, Traditional Societies, Forest Conservation