The Distribution and Management of Forests in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

The State of Arunachal Pradesh is located in the northeastern part of India, surrounded by the borders of Assam, Bhutan, and Tibet (China). There has been a long history of conflict over the sovereignty of this area between India and China. Foreigners were prohibited from entering the state until the 1990s and, therefore, the area has been veiled in secrecy until recently. The Monpa people, who reside in the western region, have historically deep ties with Tibet and the Tibetan Buddhist faith.

Inhabitants of the Dirang area, West Kameng District of this state, categorize forests into three types: Soeba shing: forests to pick up fallen leaves; Borong: forests to gather fuel wood; and Moon: forests for gathering timber and hunting. Each type of forest is managed accordingly. Fallen oak-tree leaves are collected from Soeba shing around villages and spread over agricultural fields as fertilizer for barley and buckwheat, which are produced as subsidiary crops of maize, or as a mulch to inhibit weeds or to stop soil erosion in the rainy season. Soeba shing are controlled to form pure forests of oak trees by weeding out any needleleaf trees. Fallen leaves are gathered from one’s own land. No one, not even the owner, is allowed to cut down any live oak tree. Some Borong forests are communally owned by clans, and others are privately owned by individuals. Moon forests belong entirely to clans as common property. People belonging to a clan have the right to acquire necessary resources from Borong or Moon forests that their clan owns. Illegal logging has recently become common, and the price of timber continues to rise. Local residents of these areas have begun to take action for forest conservation.