Role of non-timber forest products in tribal livelihoods: a socio-economic study of ghatshila block, east Singhbhum district, Jharkhand

Most of the people of Jharkhand depend on forest land. Forests and forest resources have a significant impact on the livelihoods of the local dwellers. The majority of the inhabitants of this region are tribal communities, and they are heavily dependent on timber and non-timber forest products. The present study emphasizes the role of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) on the livelihood of tribalcommunities through a sample of 110 respondent randomly selected from seven villages in Ghatshila block of East Singhbhum District. The main objective of this study is to assess the importance of NTFPs in the daily life of tribal inhabitants and their economic uses. This entire study is based on intensive fieldwork. Women play the most important role in NTFPs collection. Mainly, Santhal and Munda tribes play vital role in the collection of NTFPs. The analysis reveals that the tribal communities are deprived of receiving full economic value of the NTFPs which affects the quality of livelihood. This study explores all the problems and challenges faced by tribal communities in NTFPs collection and emphasizes the need for sustainable practices.