The National Afforestation Programme Explained

The National Afforestation Programme (NAP) is a centrally funded scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), started in 2000-01, that regenerates degraded forests and adjoining lands in India through participatory Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs). The scheme is implemented through the National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board (NAEB) and treats local communities as partners in planting, protecting and benefiting from forests.

This explainer describes the origins of the National Afforestation Programme, how its two-tier institutional structure and project cycle work, what activities it funds, how benefits are shared, what outcomes and criticisms have been recorded, and where it fits among India’s wider green-cover and climate goals. Information on this page was last reviewed on 15 October 2026.

Quick Facts: National Afforestation Programme

Key Takeaways

• The National Afforestation Programme was launched in 2000-01 by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to regenerate degraded forests and adjoining lands with community participation.
• The National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board (NAEB), established in 1992, is the national body that administers the National Afforestation Programme.
• The National Afforestation Programme works through Forest Development Agencies at the forest-division level, which federate Joint Forest Management Committees at village level.
• Each project is based on a micro-plan prepared with villagers, and covers planting, soil and moisture conservation, protection and eco-development works that improve livelihoods.
• The scheme builds on the National Forest Policy, 1988, and the 1990 Joint Forest Management resolution, which shifted Indian forestry towards people’s participation.
• Reported outcomes include the regeneration of well over two million hectares, while criticisms centre on survival rates, delayed funds and uneven community involvement.

What Is the National Afforestation Programme?

The National Afforestation Programme is a scheme that funds the regeneration of degraded forest land and nearby lands in India through plantations, natural regeneration and eco-development activities carried out with village communities. The programme is run by the forest departments of the states, with money and guidelines provided through the National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board.

The scheme has three linked aims. The first is ecological: restoring tree cover, soil, water and biodiversity in degraded areas. The second is social: giving forest-fringe communities, many of them tribal and poor, a stake in forest management and a share of its produce. The third is economic: creating employment and improving livelihoods through wages, income-generating activities and forest produce.

The programme is an area-based approach. Instead of planting scattered trees, it works on defined patches of land identified with the community, and the plantation is protected and maintained over a set period.

How Did the National Afforestation Programme Begin?

The National Afforestation Programme began in 2000-01 when the Ministry of Environment and Forests merged several earlier afforestation and eco-development schemes into one participatory programme. It built on a decade of experience with Joint Forest Management and on institutions created in the early 1990s.

Key milestones

Before 2000, several schemes handled different parts of the work, such as integrated afforestation and eco-development projects, fuelwood and fodder projects, and the development of non-timber forest produce. The programme replaced these overlapping schemes with a single approach centred on community institutions and a common set of guidelines.

What Is the National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board?

The National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board (NAEB) is a body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, set up in 1992 to promote afforestation, tree planting, ecological restoration and eco-development, especially in degraded forest areas and lands adjoining forests. It acts as the national focal point for such programmes.

Functions of the NAEB

• Evolving mechanisms for ecological restoration of degraded forest areas and adjoining lands.
• Supporting and coordinating afforestation and eco-development projects with state governments.
• Sponsoring research, training and extension on afforestation and community participation.
• Monitoring and evaluating plantation programmes.
• Seeking convergence with other schemes for rural development.

The NAEB has also paid special attention to the regeneration of land around holy places and in ecologically fragile regions, and to the role of women in forest management.

How Is the National Afforestation Programme Organised?

The National Afforestation Programme is organised in a two-tier structure with Forest Development Agencies (FDAs) at the forest-division level and Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) at the village level. Funds flow directly from the national level to the FDA, which passes money on to the JFMCs for implementation.

The Forest Development Agency

A Forest Development Agency is a federation of the JFMCs in a forest division, registered as a society. It is typically headed by the Divisional Forest Officer and includes representatives of the JFMCs, local bodies, and other departments. The FDA receives funds, scrutinises village micro-plans, provides technical guidance, supervises work and ensures accounts are maintained.

The Joint Forest Management Committee

A Joint Forest Management Committee is a village-level body made up of members of the community living near the forest. It plans and executes the works, protects the area and shares in the benefits. Rules require meaningful representation of women, and also of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes where relevant. Many JFMCs have a bank account and are managed jointly with the forest department, and they are expected to take decisions in open village meetings.

In some places, JFMCs have worked alongside Van Panchayats, Vana Samrakshana Samitis and other local forest institutions, depending on state practice. After the Forest Rights Act, 2006, the position of the Gram Sabha in forest governance also became important, and the relationship between JFM institutions and Gram Sabhas varies by state.

How Do National Afforestation Programme Projects Work?

National Afforestation Programme projects work through a cycle in which villagers and forest staff jointly prepare a micro-plan, the FDA approves it, works are carried out over a set number of years and the area is then protected and monitored. The approach is participatory at each stage.

Stages of a typical project

1. Selection of area: degraded forest land is chosen in consultation with the community, based on need and feasibility.
2. Participatory micro-planning: the JFMC and forest staff map the site, decide species, activities, costs and benefit sharing.
3. Approval and release of funds: the FDA scrutinises the plan and releases funds in instalments linked to progress.
4. Implementation: site preparation, planting, soil and water conservation, and fencing or other protection are carried out, with villagers employed.
5. Maintenance and protection: weeding, replanting of failed saplings and guarding continue for several years.
6. Monitoring and evaluation: internal checks, third-party evaluation and satellite imagery assess progress.

Activities funded

• Artificial regeneration through planting of saplings.
• Assisted natural regeneration, in which existing rootstock is protected and nurtured.
• Soil and moisture conservation works such as trenches, check dams and bunds.
• Fire protection, fencing and protection against grazing.
• Nursery raising and capacity building of the JFMC.
• Entry-point activities, which are small community works that win trust at the start.
• Livelihood and eco-development work such as water supply, improved stoves and skills training.

Species are typically native, multipurpose and chosen to suit local soil and climate, with mixtures preferred over single-species plantations. Communities often prefer species that give fuelwood, fodder, fruit and minor forest produce.

How Are Benefits Shared with Communities?

Benefits from National Afforestation Programme plantations are shared with the JFMC members through wages during creation, access to non-timber forest produce, fodder and fuelwood, and a share in revenue from later harvests as set by state rules. The principle of benefit sharing is the central bargain of Joint Forest Management: communities protect the forest and receive a stake in its produce.

• Wages: villagers are employed for planting and maintenance.
• Usufruct rights: grass, fodder, leaf litter, fuelwood and minor forest produce can be used under agreed norms.
• Revenue share: state rules specify the proportion of timber or other revenue going to the JFMC at harvest.
• Community funds: JFMCs maintain funds used for village development and plantation upkeep.
• Livelihood support: self-help groups and income-generating activities add to household income.

The details differ across states, and a key area of debate is how clearly and reliably benefits reach the poorest members of the community.

What Outcomes Has the National Afforestation Programme Achieved?

The National Afforestation Programme has regenerated well over two million hectares of degraded forest land through projects sanctioned across the states, run by several hundred Forest Development Agencies. It created large numbers of person-days of employment, established many village forest committees and set the template for community forestry in India.

Reported strengths

• Institution building: thousands of JFMCs gained experience in planning, accounting and forest protection.
• Greener landscapes: many sites show improved tree cover, soil retention and water availability.
• Livelihoods: wage employment and forest produce supplemented rural incomes, especially during lean seasons.
• Participation of women: women’s groups have taken leadership roles in several areas.
• Reduced pressure on natural forests: fuelwood and fodder from plantations eased dependence on reserved forest.

Criticisms and limitations

• Survival rates: evaluations show variation, with some plantations suffering from poor survival due to drought, grazing, fire or weak maintenance.
• Delayed funds: late releases can disrupt planting at the right season.
• Uneven participation: JFMCs may be dominated by a few members or by forest staff, and marginalised groups can be left out.
• Monocultures: some plantations favour fast-growing, single species rather than diverse natural forest.
• Land tenure: unclear rights over forest land have caused conflicts.
• Counting problems: planting targets in hectares are not always matched by long-term survival and carbon outcomes.

Auditors and independent evaluators have repeatedly recommended better monitoring, use of geo-tagging and remote sensing, and a stronger focus on survival rather than area planted.

How Does the Scheme Fit Into India’s Green-Cover Goals?

The National Afforestation Programme fits into India’s green-cover goals as one of the main community-based tools for restoring degraded forest land, supporting the national aim of one-third of the area under forest and tree cover. Forest and tree cover currently stands at roughly one-quarter of the country’s area, according to the biennial India State of Forest Report prepared by the Forest Survey of India (FSI).

• National Forest Policy, 1988: set the one-third target, with two-thirds in hill and mountain regions.
• Green India Mission (2014): one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, aimed at increasing and improving forest and tree cover.
• Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016: channels money collected from developers who divert forest land into afforestation and related work.
• Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC): India has pledged to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
• Bonn Challenge and UNCCD: India has committed to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.

Over time, the schemes for afforestation have been reorganised and merged into broader programmes, and compensatory afforestation money has become a major funding source. The participatory model that the National Afforestation Programme developed remains the foundation for these efforts.

Why Does the National Afforestation Programme Matter?

The National Afforestation Programme matters because degraded forests are a large part of India’s forest estate, and restoring them needs the cooperation of the people who live next to them. A forest that nearby communities depend on and benefit from is more likely to survive than one guarded only by a small staff.

The programme also links environmental restoration to rural development, which makes it relevant to climate adaptation, water security and biodiversity. Healthy tree cover reduces soil erosion, recharges groundwater, moderates local temperatures and stores carbon. For forest-fringe communities, it offers incomes and a recognised role in management.

Bottom Line

The National Afforestation Programme turned the idea of people’s participation in forestry into a funded, nationwide scheme, using Forest Development Agencies and Joint Forest Management Committees to restore degraded forest land. Its lasting lessons are that survival matters more than area planted, and that communities must share genuinely in the benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the National Afforestation Programme?

The National Afforestation Programme is a centrally funded scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change that regenerates degraded forests and adjoining lands. It was launched in 2000-01 and works with village communities. The National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board administers it nationally.

Who implements the National Afforestation Programme?

State forest departments implement the programme through Forest Development Agencies at the forest-division level and Joint Forest Management Committees in villages. The National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board provides national guidance and funds. Villagers prepare plans and carry out works with forest staff.

When was the National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board set up?

The National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board was set up in 1992 under the then Ministry of Environment and Forests. Its job is to promote afforestation, tree planting and eco-development, especially in degraded forest areas and adjoining lands. The National Afforestation Programme followed in 2000-01.

What is a Joint Forest Management Committee?

A Joint Forest Management Committee is a village-level body of local people who plan, protect and manage a forest area together with the forest department. Members receive a share of benefits such as wages, forest produce and revenue. Representation of women and weaker sections is required.

How does the National Afforestation Programme help local people?

The programme helps local people through wage employment, access to fuelwood, fodder and minor forest produce, and a share of harvest revenue. It also funds small community works and livelihood activities. These benefits give villagers a reason to protect the regenerated forest.

How much of India is under forest and tree cover?

Forest and tree cover covers roughly a quarter of India’s geographical area, according to the biennial India State of Forest Report. The National Forest Policy, 1988, set a goal of one-third. Schemes such as the National Afforestation Programme and the Green India Mission aim to close this gap.

{“@context”:”https://schema.org”,”@graph”:[{“@type”:”FAQPage”,”mainEntity”:[{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”What is the National Afforestation Programme?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”The National Afforestation Programme is a centrally funded scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change that regenerates degraded forests and adjoining lands. It was launched in 2000-01 and works with village communities. The National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board administers it nationally.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Who implements the National Afforestation Programme?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”State forest departments implement the programme through Forest Development Agencies at the forest-division level and Joint Forest Management Committees in villages. The National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board provides national guidance and funds. Villagers prepare plans and carry out works with forest staff.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”When was the National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board set up?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”The National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board was set up in 1992 under the then Ministry of Environment and Forests. Its job is to promote afforestation, tree planting and eco-development, especially in degraded forest areas and adjoining lands. The National Afforestation Programme followed in 2000-01.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”What is a Joint Forest Management Committee?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”A Joint Forest Management Committee is a village-level body of local people who plan, protect and manage a forest area together with the forest department. Members receive a share of benefits such as wages, forest produce and revenue. Representation of women and weaker sections is required.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How does the National Afforestation Programme help local people?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”The programme helps local people through wage employment, access to fuelwood, fodder and minor forest produce, and a share of harvest revenue. It also funds small community works and livelihood activities. These benefits give villagers a reason to protect the regenerated forest.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How much of India is under forest and tree cover?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”Forest and tree cover covers roughly a quarter of India’s geographical area, according to the biennial India State of Forest Report. The National Forest Policy, 1988, set a goal of one-third. Schemes such as the National Afforestation Programme and the Green India Mission aim to close this gap.”}}]}]}