Forest fires and tendu leaf collection in India : An evidence-based analysis
India’s climate change goals are threatened by the growing incidence of forest fires, estimated to have increased tenfold in the last two decades. Forest fires are a serious ecological concern due to their adverse impact on biodiversity, terrestrial ecosystem productivity and fertility, and soil and water quantity and quality, among others. A serious cause for concern is that nearly 95 per cent of forest fire incidences in India are believed to be human-induced, whether accidental or deliberate. Understanding this is important to design and introduce policies, practices and schemes that can help arrest the growing number of forest fires in the country.
Reports by Chandra Bhushan
