DFO releases book on forest, biodiversity laws

On World Forest Day that was observed on March 21, the District Forest Office, Tiruvannamalai came out with a book – ‘Handbook on Forest and Biodiversity Laws.’

According to a press release, the theme for this year’s World Forest Day was “Forest and Sustainable Cities.” The theme is applicable to places like Tiruvannamalai that is fast becoming a hub for spiritual tourism.

The initiative to release this book was to sensitise relevant stakeholders to promote and protect forest resources, biodiversity, traditional knowledge and intellectual property.

Role of committees

The book focuses on the role of Joint Forest Management Committees and Biodiversity Management Committees in promoting conservation and sustainable use of forest-based biodiversity. The book was authored by S. Elumalai, according to the release.

B.C. Archana Kalyani, District Forest Officer, Tiruvannamalai, said that the book was intended for the use of officials and field staff to know the implementation of the various forest and biodiversity laws.

“This is a compendium of all forest laws. We will be releasing a book in Tamil too. This will be a simplified version and will be of help for committees formed in villages,” she said.