Volume II, Special Issue, February 2026
Volume-II, Special Issue, February, 2026 |
Received: 31.12.2025 | Accepted: 03.01.2026 | ||
Published Online: 28.02.2026 | Page No: | ||
DOI: 10.69655/atmadeep.vol.2.specialissue.W. | |||
উত্তরবঙ্গের সমাজ ও বনব্যবস্থাপনার পারস্পরিক সম্পর্ক: একটি সমীক্ষা সলিল কুমার মুখার্জ্জী, অধ্যক্ষ, বানিজ্য বিভাগ, সামসি কলেজ, মালদা, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, ভারত |
The Interrelationship between Society and Forest Management in North Bengal: A Study Salil Kumar Mukherjee, Principal, Department of Commerce, Samsi College, Malda, West Bengal, India | ||
ABSTRACT | ||
This study examines the dynamic interrelationship between society and forest management in North Bengal, with particular emphasis on the role of forest-dependent communities and the performance of Joint Forest Management (JFM). Despite the relative abundance of forest resources in North Bengal compared to South Bengal, JFM initiatives in the region have shown limited and uneven success. Drawing upon secondary data, field-based studies, and institutional analyses, the paper challenges the dominant assumption that forest-adjacent communities are the principal agents of forest degradation. Empirical evidence indicates that local populations largely depend on non-timber forest products, dry biomass, and subsistence-level extraction practices that rarely contribute to large-scale deforestation. It also focuses on selected sites in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts, analysing patterns of fuelwood dependence, forest condition, user groups, and institutional arrangements under different forest management regimes. The findings suggest that conflicts between communities and the Forest Department arise primarily from unequal access to benefits, exclusion of non-member users, and the short-term nature of incentives generated through JFM. The paper argues that the sustainability of participatory forest management depends on two critical factors: whether the benefits derived from participation exceed the costs borne by local communities, and whether such benefits are durable over time. So, the study concludes that successful forest conservation in North Bengal requires a more equitable distribution of forest-derived benefits, recognition of diverse user groups, and integration of livelihood security measures such as basic services, forest-based cottage industries, and eco-tourism. Only through addressing these socio-economic asymmetries can genuine community participation be ensured and long-term forest sustainability achieved. | ||
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