Forest resources constitute a critical component of the socio-ecological system of the Siang River Basin in Arunachal Pradesh, India, where indigenous communities maintain a high degree of dependence on surrounding forest ecosystems. This study investigates the multidimensional role of forest resources in sustaining the livelihoods, socioeconomic resilience, and cultural integrity of local populations within the basin. The research is based on a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative household surveys with qualitative techniques including semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations, complemented by secondary data from official records and scholarly sources. The findings demonstrate that forest resources significantly contribute to subsistence and income generation through the provision of timber and non-timber forest products such as fuel wood, fodder, edible plants, medicinal species, and construction materials. These resources play a fundamental role in ensuring household food security, supporting traditional healthcare systems, and reducing economic vulnerability. Furthermore, forests underpin the cultural and spiritual life of indigenous groups, reinforcing traditional ecological knowledge, customary practices, and community-based resource management institutions. Ecologically, forest cover contributes to watershed protection, slope stabilization, biodiversity conservation, and regulation of local micro climatic conditions, thereby maintaining the environmental sustainability of the river basin. However, the study also identifies emerging challenges, including demographic pressure, shifting cultivation intensification, infrastructural expansion, and increasing market integration, which are accelerating forest degradation and resource depletion. These trends pose significant risks to both ecological stability and livelihood security. The study underscores the urgent need for participatory and adaptive forest management frameworks that integrate indigenous knowledge systems with scientific conservation strategies. Such approaches are essential to ensure sustainable resource utilization, ecological resilience, and long-term socioeconomic well-being in the Siang River Basin.
Amor Taboh (Thu,) studied this question.