The role of customary and government institutions in forest management within East Siang (Arunachal Pradesh)
Student name: Ms Naina Sharma
Guide: Dr M V Shiju
Year of completion: 2017
Host Organisation: TERI University
Abstract: The East Siang district has historically been labelled the gateway to the rest of
Arunachal owing to its proximity to the plains. Its geographical location has had a
positive impact on the local economy since the British era. At the same time, it has
also made the area more vulnerable to the effects of poaching and illegal logging.
The region is dominated by the Adi tribe, a group of people who have been fairly
proactive in the state’s bureaucracy as well as politics owing to their high literacy
rates. Against this backdrop, this paper seeks to analyse the forest management and
conservation approaches in the belt which are primarily shaped by – the interactions
between customary laws and government institutions/legislations. Arunachal’s
economy was impactedby the ban on the timber industry following the Godavarman
judgment, and this study would try to assess the transition in the economy brought
about as a result of the Supreme Court’s judgment. Such a study can provide
important insights to policy makers while framing rules or legislations on forest
governance in the region.
Keywords: forest management, kebangs, customary laws, government institutions,
legislations.
