Forests in the economy of the rural poor: An estimation of the dependency level

The rural people in India, particularly the tribals and poor, depend on for est resources for meeting their energy needs, forest products, and for empl oyment. This paper gives details of one estimation of dependency of people on forests in villages in the Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, and Gujarat states of India. Benefits derived by the people were reflected as a percentage of th e total income of the household. The dependency on forests varies from 37% to 76% in these villages. This kind of assessment would create a data base and provide indicators of sustainable forest management, especially for an understanding of the intricacies of Joint Forest Management. This informati on can be very useful in deriving the overall contribution of the forestry sector in the national economy and thus help the planners, administrators a nd foresters in evolving better management practices.