National Afforestation Programme (NAP) is a major forestry scheme of the Government of India in which afforestation and related activities are intended to be implemented through public participation having joint forest management and eco-development committees. This scheme is being implemented by the National Afforestation and Eco Development Board (NAEB), Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. This is a 100% centrally sponsored scheme (CSS) and started in the 10th Five Year Plan with a two-tier institutional structure i.e. Forest Development Agency (FDA) and Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC) or Eco-Development Committee (EDC). The village is reckoned as a unit of planning and implementation and all activities under the programme are conceptualized at the village level. This decentralized two-tier institutional structure allowed greater participation of the community, both in planning and implementation, to improve forests and livelihoods of the people living in and around forest areas. The two-tier approach, apart from building capacities at the grassroot level, significantly empowered the local people to participate in the decision making process.

This approach has further been decentralized in 2009 when the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Gov. of India issued Revised Operational Guidelines for NAP and further involved the State Forest Departments by forming a third tier i.e. State Forest Development Agency which is federation of all FDAs of the state and act as an umbrella agency.

Objectives

The main objectives of this project are:

1. Sustainable development and management of forest resources.
2. Increase and/ or improve Forest and Tree Cover (FTC) through afforestation schemes.
3. Rehabilitation of degraded forests and other areas by institutionalizing decentralized/participatory forest management.
4. Encourage eco-tourism, promote nature education, conservation awareness.
5. Ensure active participation of the fringe population in management and development of the sanctuaries.
6. Restore the watershed capability of the catchment areas.
7. Provide sustainable and assured employment to the tribal and other weaker sections.
8. Create durable community assets.
9. To involve the village community in the execution of the schemes and make the exercise fully participatory and transparent.