Circular Economy and Vedic Ecological Wisdom: Pathways for Sustainable Forest Futures in India

Deforestation, biodiversity loss, and unsustainable resource exploitation are critical challenges facing India's forests. The circular economy (CE) offers solutions for resource optimization and waste reduction, though often lacking cultural relevance. This paper explores integrating CE principles with India's Vedic ecological wisdom and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to develop sustainable, culturally relevant forest management strategies. Through a conceptual review of CE, indigenous knowledge, and Vedic texts, supported by case studies of sacred groves, community forest management in Odisha, and agroforestry systems, this study highlights how CE's focus on resource efficiency aligns with Vedic values of restraint and stewardship. The paper concludes that integrating CE into India's ecological and cultural context can conserve biodiversity, reduce resource conflicts, and inform stronger environmental policies.