Our Mission

Our mission is to empower forest-dependent communities in India by facilitating the recognition and protection of their forest rights through research, participatory action, capacity-building, and community-informed open technologies. Guided by the transformative provisions of the Forest Rights Act (2006), particularly Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights, we aim to enable Gram Sabhas to take leadership in forest governance, sustainable management, and biodiversity conservation.

We focus on fostering community-led forest management that integrates equitable forest-based livelihoods with conservation goals. Our work emphasizes the statutory devolution of forest management authority to Gram Sabhas, granting them critical roles in decisions about Critical Wildlife Habitats, non-timber forest products, and forest diversions for non-forestry purposes.

Through ATREE’s CFR in Central India Initiative, we concentrate on regions with high forest cover and significant tribal populations, including Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Telangana. Led by Dr. Sharachchandra Lele at ATREE, this initiative combines action research, capacity-building, and policy outreach across key stages—CFR potential mapping, rights recognition, management planning, and addressing implementation bottlenecks.

Our ultimate vision is to facilitate the transformation of the economic and social conditions of forest-dwelling communities while safeguarding forest resources for future generations.