The Chipko Movement is a nonviolent resistance movement in India that aims to safeguard the country's forests.
The movement originated in 1973 in Uttarakhand's Himalayan region.
Sunderlal Bahuguna, an eco-activist who dedicated his life to encouraging and educating the peasants to fight against the loss of the forests and Himalayan mountains, helped the Chipko Movement gain traction.
It was a forest conservation movement in response to the growing destruction of forests for commercial and industrial purposes.
When government-controlled exploitation of natural resources began to endanger Indian villages' lives, they turned to Mahatma Gandhi's approach of satyagraha, or nonviolent resistance, to stop the destruction.
It quickly grew into an organized campaign known as the Chipko Movement, which expanded across the country.
Protesters embracing trees to defend them from loggers gave the movement its name.
The opposition is notable for being spearheaded primarily by women from rural areas who rely significantly on woods for their livelihoods.