Name: Aagam Sharma
Country: India

Year: 2026
Volume: Volume-11, Issue-1, January-June 2026
Page Number: 907-916
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22225997

ABSTRACT
In Himachal Pradesh, forest livelihoods are a significant yet evolving aspect of rural life. Historically, forests have provided fuelwood, fodder, grazing, timber for domestic use, medicinal plants, wild food, grasses, fibres, fruits, and other non-timber forest products (NTFPs) to rural households. Subsistence farming, household consumption, livestock rearing, and additional income have all been supported by these resources. However, forest livelihood systems of Himachal Pradesh differ from one another. Altitude, vegetation, accessibility, market connectedness, agricultural methods, and the extent to which rural households are integrated into non-farm work all influence their character. This paper examines forest livelihoods in Himachal Pradesh from a geographical perspective, focusing specifically on the ways in which rural households obtain livelihood benefits from forest resources. The study uses secondary information from the Government of Himachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh Forest Department, Forest Survey of India and relevant scholarly literature. Recent official information indicates that the state continues to have a substantial forest resource base, while forestry and logging generated an estimated ₹6,018 crore of gross value added at constant prices in 2025–26. The Forest Department reports that more than 600 locally occurring plant species are used for food, fruit, fibre, fodder, fuel, gums, oil and resin, demonstrating the breadth of forest-resource dependence. Medicinal plants represent another important livelihood resource, with approximately 800 species recognised as medicinal and around 165 species reported as being collected commercially. The paper argues that forest livelihoods in Himachal Pradesh are undergoing a transition from predominantly subsistence-oriented resource use towards diversified livelihood strategies. Nevertheless, forests continue to provide significant direct and indirect livelihood benefits, particularly through fodder, livestock, NTFPs, medicinal plants, fuel, household requirements and supplementary income. The study concludes that the future of forest livelihoods depends on improving the economic returns from forest resources, strengthening local value chains, ensuring sustainable harvesting and enhancing the participation and economic agency of forest-dependent communities.

Keywords: Forest livelihoods, Himachal Pradesh, forest dependence, NTFPs, medicinal plants, fodder, fuelwood, rural economy, livelihood diversification, Himalayan communities