Who were the main stakeholders of …

A stakeholder is a person with an interest in a particular business. Everyone uses forest resources in one form or the other. The stakeholders of forest resources include:

• People who live around the forest areas and depend upon the forest resources for sustenance.
• The Government Forest Department, which owns the forest land
• The industrialists who use forest products for various industrial purposes.
• The enthusiasts for the conservation of wildlife and nature.

The people staying in nearby areas use firewood, thatch, and small timber from the forests. Bamboo is used in making huts, and baskets for collecting fruits and food materials. Forests are also the sites for hunting and fishing. The industries consider the forest as a source of raw materials for the factories. The industrialists are not concerned about sustainability.

Before independence, the stakeholders were free to use forest resources. But after the British took over, the access of forest resources was restricted to the forest dwellers. After independence, the government overtook forest departments, but the interest of the people staying in forests was still ignored. A few cultivation practices disturbed the whole biodiversity of the area.