STRENGTHENING TRIBAL PANCHAYATS

In India the Panchayats (extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA Act 1996) was enacted on 24 December 1996. This act is enacted particularly for scheduled areas. Scheduled Areas are those, which are under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India where the tribal populations are predominant. According to PESA act ‘management' of natural resources transferred to the local society. India is famous for its natural resources being one of the 12 mega-diversity countries in the world.(DebnathDeboshish, 2010)The Indian civilization is a primary civilization, known as Indus civilization, which has been described by Rabindranath Tagore as Tapavan civilization, meaning the very civilization grew in forest, was developed by its indigenous people. India's forest dwelling people are known as Vanabasi or Vanyajati as well as ‘the Scheduled Tribe' (a constitutional category) as their association with the forest from time immemorial. This paper deals with the problem of climate change and its effects on the human society. It also tries to bring out the importance of an organized and decentralized governance mechanism to manage them. The paper elaborates how the Tribal Panchayats can play a meaningful role in managing climate change through forest management. Climate change will be pivotal in redefining development in the twenty-first century. Nations, societies, communities, and households respond to the impact of climate changes and variability to which the world has already been committed. In many instances, climate change is a determinant factor in the growth, equity, and sustainability of society at large. Given the potential magnitude of impending changes in institutional and social relationships, the gaps in current knowledge about the role of institutions in adapting to climate change is remarkably large. This review focuses on the role of local institutions in adapting to climate change.