What do you mean by Social Forestry?What are its benefits?
Answers
Social forestry means the management and protection of forest and afforestation of barren and deforested lands with the purpose of helping environmental, social and rural development.
The term, social forestry, was first used in India in 1976 by The National Commission on Agriculture, Government of India. It was then that India embarked upon a social forestry project with the aim of taking the pressure off currently existing forests by planting trees on all unused and fallow land.[citation needed] Social forestry is basically for the people by the people and of the people approach .Benefits of Social Forestry
1) Betterment of environment
2) Reduction of pollution
3) Providing the basic needs of rural and urban people for fuel, small timber, manure leaf and other economic products nearer to home
4) Providing raw materials for industries such as wood, wool, packing cases, slate frames, fibre, tamarind extract, oil seeds, pulping and husking material
5) Provide shelter for insectivorous birds on the farms
6) Protection from wind
7) Conservation of moisture
8) Prevention of soil erosion
9) Fullest utilization of land unsuitable for cultivation
10) Employment opportunities in rural and urban area
11) Reduction of noise
12) Recreation
13) Reduction of pressure on national forests
14) Achievement of self-sufficiency by the villages
15) Improvement of rainfall by induction precipitation