Why India must revive social forestry for energy security
The recent disruptions in LPG supply across several parts of India have exposed an uncomfortable reality: the country’s everyday energy security rests on a fragile and highly centralised system. Small hotels, roadside eateries and households alike struggled as cooking gas became irregular or unavailable.
In this context, the idea of social forestry deserves renewed attention. Introduced in India during the 1970s and 1980s, social forestry was never just about planting trees. It was a broader vision of community self-reliance, encouraging villages and local institutions to grow fuelwood, fodder and timber on common lands, roadsides, canal banks and private fields. At its core was a simple but powerful principle: essential resources, especially cooking fuel, should remain locally available and sustainable.
Over the years, however, the rapid spread of LPG connections under welfare schemes significantly changed India’s energy habits. LPG improved millions of lives by reducing indoor pollution and relieving women of the burden of collecting firewood. Yet it also created near-total dependence on a centralised fossil-fuel-based system.
At the same time, India is gradually losing traditional ecological knowledge. Younger generations, particularly in urban and semi-urban areas, are increasingly unfamiliar with the management of biomass resources such as twigs, crop residues, and fuelwood. This is not to glorify old smoky chulhas, which were often harmful in poorly ventilated homes, but traditional knowledge of sustainable biomass use formed an important part of India’s rural resilience. Losing that knowledge entirely leaves communities with fewer alternatives during emergencies.
Ironically, India already possesses strong policy frameworks for afforestation and green development. Programmes such as the Green India Mission, the National Afforestation Programme, CAMPA funding and the Nagar Van Yojana have invested heavily in restoring degraded landscapes and expanding tree cover. Yet these initiatives are largely viewed through the lens of environmental conservation and carbon capture, rather than as part of a decentralised energy strategy. That gap needs to be bridged.
Reviving social forestry today does not mean returning to the past. It means combining traditional wisdom with modern planning and science. Panchayats could develop dedicated energy plantations with fast-growing species such as bamboo, subabul and regionally suitable native trees. Farmers could plant fuelwood species along field boundaries without affecting crop production. Schools, colleges and urban communities could participate in creating green belts that serve both ecological and practical purposes. True self-reliance is not limited to industry or technology. It begins with basic necessities such as food and fuel. India’s agricultural economy already produces enormous quantities of biomass, which, if managed properly alongside social forestry, can supplement modern fuels like LPG. The objective is not to replace LPG, but to ensure that communities are never left helpless when centralised supply systems fail.
Ultimately, reviving social forestry requires a cultural shift. Trees must be seen not merely as decorative elements or environmental symbols, but as living assets connected to livelihoods, energy security and sustainability. Replacing ornamental exotic plants with useful native species can strengthen both ecology and local resilience.
The writer is the Dean of Academic Affairs at Garden City University; Views presented are personal.
