Tiriya, a remote Adivasi village in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district, has earned international acclaim for its pioneering model of community-led forest governance and sustainable livelihoods.
The village has been named among the top 15 Honorable Mentions for the 2025 Collective Action Awards by the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI), a global coalition advocating for the land and forest rights of Indigenous peoples across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Tiriya was selected from over 190 nominations worldwide, placing it among the most inspiring grassroots efforts in environmental stewardship.
At the heart of this achievement is the Dhurva Adivasi community, whose gram sabha (village council) successfully claimed community forest rights over 3,057 hectares under India’s Forest Rights Act.
With technical support from the Bastar-based team of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), the village developed a robust forest management plan that integrates traditional knowledge, biodiversity conservation, and economic self-reliance.
Tiriya’s innovative bamboo rafting enterprise along the Shabari River has become a hallmark of its eco-tourism model, generating employment for local youth while promoting ecological awareness.
Daily forest patrols by community members have helped curb illegal logging and reinforce sustainable use practices, showcasing how decentralized governance can achieve both conservation and development goals.
“This recognition is not just about Tiriya; it represents the strength of Indigenous knowledge and collective action,” said Rajat Vajpayee, senior journalist and tribal issues expert in Bastar.
“The village has shown that when forest-dwelling communities are empowered, they can manage their resources more equitably and sustainably than external systems often allow.”
As debates over climate justice and Indigenous land rights gather urgency worldwide, Tiriya’s example offers a compelling blueprint for inclusive, community-driven conservation.
The village’s global recognition underscores a vital message: empowering local communities is not only a path to ecological resilience but also to democratic renewal in regions too often overlooked.
In the forests of Bastar, a quiet revolution is taking root—led not by governments or corporations, but by the people who have lived with the land for generations.