Professor Shyam Sunder Jyani’s Familial Forestry model shows how treating trees as part of the family can turn environmental conservation into a community movement, helping restore degraded landscapes across Rajasthan and earning recognition from the United Nations.
From Three Dying Neem Trees to a Larger Environmental Mission
In 2003, when sociologist Shyam Sunder Jyani joined Government Dungar College in Bikaner, Rajasthan, he noticed several neem trees on the campus were struggling to survive. Instead of viewing the problem only as an environmental one, Jyani began working with students to revive the trees and understand why people often planted saplings but failed to care for them afterward.
The experience eventually led him to develop Familial Forestry, an approach that treats trees as members of a family and places responsibility for their survival with households and communities.
The idea began taking shape around 2006, with Jyani connecting tree planting to everyday family life, social customs and important occasions.
The approach encouraged families to plant and nurture trees around their homes, while schools and institutions were encouraged to develop their own green spaces. Births, weddings, festivals and other milestones could become opportunities to plant trees, helping turn conservation from a one-time activity into a continuing responsibility.
Turning Tree Plantation Into Long-Term Care
The central idea behind Familial Forestry is that planting a sapling is only the first step. Jyani has consistently emphasised the importance of protecting and nurturing trees after they are planted.
The model subsequently spread across villages in Rajasthan, with families, students, schools and community groups participating in plantation and conservation activities. The movement also developed institutional forests and nurseries, allowing communities to grow and distribute native saplings.
According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Familial Forestry had reached more than a million families across over 15,000 villages and involved millions of saplings in northwestern Rajasthan in figures reported around 2021. Later reports have cited even larger numbers as the movement expanded.
The approach also places importance on native vegetation, community ownership and ecological restoration rather than focusing solely on the number of trees planted.
Restoring Land Scarred by Mining
One of the most significant examples of Jyani’s later work is Dabla Talab in Bikaner district, an area affected by decades of gypsum mining.
The landscape around the reservoir had been severely degraded, with mining altering the terrain and affecting the area’s ecological condition. Beginning in 2022, Jyani worked with local communities on efforts to restore the approximately 84-hectare landscape.
The restoration involved protecting the degraded area, encouraging native vegetation and involving surrounding communities in its care. Reports have also documented the regeneration of existing vegetation, including khejri trees, as well as the return of grasses and other native plants.
The project illustrates the broader philosophy behind Jyani’s work: ecological restoration does not necessarily begin with planting thousands of new trees. Protecting existing vegetation, restoring water systems, allowing native species to regenerate and involving local communities can be equally important.
Wildlife Begins Returning to the Landscape
The restoration around Dabla Talab has also been associated with increased wildlife activity. Local reports have documented sightings of several species in and around the restored landscape, including jackals, foxes, porcupines, hares, peafowl, reptiles and other desert wildlife. Reports have also linked the area with sightings of the elusive caracal, a wild cat that is considered threatened in India.
In June 2024, a caracal was reported in Bikaner district, with a senior forest official identifying the animal. Jyani was also reported to have photographed the animal.
However, the wildlife sightings should not be presented as proof that Familial Forestry alone caused the caracal’s return. The more defensible conclusion is that restoration has helped create or improve habitat conditions in an area where wildlife has subsequently been observed.
The distinction matters because conservation is rarely the result of a single intervention. Habitat, water availability, prey, vegetation and protection all influence whether wildlife can survive in a landscape.
Recognition From the United Nations
Jyani’s work has received international recognition. In 2021, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification awarded Familial Forestry the Land for Life Award, recognising the approach for its contribution to sustainable land management and restoration.
The UNCCD describes Familial Forestry as an approach that connects trees with families and encourages people to regard trees as members of their households, thereby strengthening long-term responsibility for the environment.
The recognition placed a community-led initiative from Rajasthan on an international platform focused on combating desertification, land degradation and drought.
Jyani has also participated in international environmental forums, while Familial Forestry has been featured by initiatives such as Nature Positive Universities for its work involving institutional forests, native planting, nurseries and biodiversity.
From Afforestation to Holistic Habitat Healing
Jyani’s work has increasingly expanded beyond conventional tree plantation. His approach includes restoring degraded commons, protecting native vegetation, developing institutional forests, encouraging community nurseries and strengthening people’s relationship with the land around them.
The Familial Forestry movement has also promoted initiatives related to traditional food systems and reducing plastic use, reflecting a broader understanding of environmental sustainability.
At the heart of the approach is a simple premise: conservation becomes more durable when communities feel personally responsible for the natural resources around them.
Rather than treating trees as statistics in plantation drives, Jyani’s model attempts to give them a social and emotional identity. A tree planted for a wedding, cared for by a family and eventually inherited by the next generation becomes more than an environmental asset. It becomes part of the community’s collective memory.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Shyam Sunder Jyani’s journey demonstrates that environmental restoration is not always about large infrastructure or government-led campaigns. Sometimes, lasting change begins by changing how people perceive their relationship with nature. Familial Forestry’s significance lies in its attempt to make conservation a household and community responsibility, while the restoration of landscapes such as Dabla Talab shows how degraded land can gradually regain ecological value when local communities participate in its recovery.
The UNCCD’s recognition of the model further demonstrates the potential of locally rooted approaches to address larger challenges of land degradation and biodiversity loss. For India, where ecological pressures increasingly intersect with development and resource use, such community-led models offer an important reminder that restoration is ultimately sustained by the people who live alongside the land.
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