The National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board (NAEB) was set up in August 1992 for promoting Afforestation, tree planting, ecological restoration and eco-development activities in the country. Special attention is being given to regeneration of degraded forest areas and lands adjoining forest areas, national parks, sanctuaries and other protected areas as well as the ecologically fragile areas like the Western Himalayas, Aravallis, Western Ghats, etc.
The NAEB has evolved specific schemes to promote Afforestation and management strategies, which help the States in developing specific Afforestation and eco-development packages for augmenting biomass production through a participatory planning process of Joint Forest Management (JFM).
NAEB operates following three schemes:- National Afforestation Programme (NAP)
- NAEB scheme. The major components of the scheme are:
- Grants-in-aid for Greening India (GIA for GI)
- Monitoring and Evaluation (MandE)
- Communication
- Support to Regional Centres (RG)
- Eco Development Forces (EDF) Schemes
National Afforestation Programme (NAP): National Afforestation Programme (NAP) continues to be the flagship scheme of NAEB in so much as it provides support, both in physical and capacity building terms, to the Forest Development Agencies (FDAs) which in turn are the main organ to move forward institutionalisation of both implements Joint Forest Management. The FDA has been conceived and installed as a federation of Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) at the Forest Division level to undertake holistic development in the forestry sector with people participation. This is a paradigm shift from the earlier afforestation programmes wherein funds were routed through the State Governments. The decentralised two tier institutional structure (FDA and JFMC) allow greater participation of the continuing both the planning and implementation, to improve forests and livelihood of the people bring in and around forest areas. The village is reckoned as a unit of planning and implementation and all activities under the programme conceptualised at the village level. The two-tier approach apart from building capacities at the grassroot level significantly empowers the local people to participate in the decision making process Under Entry Point Activities, community assets are created with a 'care and share' concept.
Six hundred and eighty FDAs have been operationalised to treat a total area of 9.05 lakh ha. (as on 6 February 2006). Bamboo plantations, medicinal plants and Jatrropha have been given adequate focus under NAP during the current plan period.
Grant-in-aid for Greening India: The earlier Grant-in-aid to Voluntary Agencies Scheme has been restructured as 'Grant-in-aid for Greening India'. It has two sub-components: i) production of and awareness generation about high quality planting material and ii) Grants to Voluntary agencies and other bodies for taking up plantation of high quality planting material. For production of high quality planting material (QPM) support is provided for setting up of central nursery by the State Forest Department and satellite nurseries by various organisations and individuals.
Eco-Development Forces (EDF): Eco-Development Force was established in 1980 as a scheme being implemented through Ministry of Defence for ecological restoration of terrains, rendered difficult either due to severe degradation or remote location or any other exigencies. The scheme of Eco-Development Forces is based on two objectives of ecological restoration and employment generation for able bodied ex-servicemen. Under this scheme, the establishment and operational expenditure on Eco-Task Force (ETF) Battalion raised by Ministry of Defence (MoD) is reimbursed by Ministry while the input like sapling fencing etc. as also the professional and managerial guidance is provided by the State Forest Departments. Four ETF battalions are being supposed under the EDF Scheme. These battalions are located at Pithoragarh, Samba, Jaiselmer (Mohangarh) and Dehradun.
