Social forestry approach and principle

A social forestry is a social approach to conserving forests and forest management that has been developed as a response to climate change and energy problems. It is more than just an environmental movement, it is a way of life that involves people from all walks of life working together for the betterment of their communities, the environment, and most importantly themselves.

This approach is based on three main principles:

 ü   People are at the center of everything!

ü   People are responsible for what they choose to do with nature (their forests).

ü   The relationship between man, nature, and society should be based on mutual respect and cooperation instead of domination or exploitation. 

That is why Social Forestry is a method for increasing the amount of forest cover in a specific area by involving local communities in the management of their natural resources. It involves building relationships with local communities and engaging them in decision-making processes, as well as they access tools to manage their forests through mutual efforts.

Thus, the basic idea behind social forestry programs is that by working together with other members of society, people are able to create social networks that help them improve their lives.

For example, in a reforestation project in Africa, communities were encouraged to plant trees near their homes so that they would benefit from increased shade and increased property value.

This strategy was intended to encourage people to participate in reforestation projects and make it more likely that they would be motivated to continue planting trees after the initial program ended.