* Confronted with a serious problem of degradation and destruction of massive forest lands in Tamil Nadu, with its adverse impact on ecosystem and biodiversity in particular, a massive and unique afforestation programme called Tamil Nadu Afforestation Project (TAP) was undertaken with a new strategy of “Forest Management based on Nature and led by People” (FMNP). It laid the primary focus on poverty alleviation, capacity building and empowerment of local people, along with ecological restoration of forest. TAP has been considered as one of the largest afforestation programme ever undertaken successfully recently in India. It led to massive regeneration of forest and economic development of fringe villages.

* Implementation of TAP has resulted in understanding the intricacies of forest management in the right perspective. Tamil Nadu Afforestation Project (TAP) has helped in restoration of more than 6880 sq. kms. of degraded forests adjoining 2317 forest fringe villages over the last 20 years through “Natural Regeneration Supporting Silvicultural System” (NRSS). Japanese International Cooperative Agency (JICA) the funding agency, conducted two ex-post evaluations of the TAP Phase-I in 2008 and TAP Phase-II in 2019 through external parties and has awarded the highest possible rating of A (Highly Satisfactory) for both the phases.