Tamil Nadu Afforestation Sample Clauses

Tamil Nadu Afforestation. Project (II) (1) Project Background and Necessity The proportion of land covered by forests is relatively low at around 20% in India, compared to the world average of around 30%. India's per capita forest area is only one sixth of the world average. Large numbers of people, including those living in poverty, depend on these forests for livestock fodder, firewood and fruits as a source of income. However, India's annually growing population and livestock, along with a sharp increase in demand for timber induced by the rapid economic growth that accelerates urbanization and industrialization, have led to more trees being cut down in the forests. As a result, continued degradation of forests and deterioration in their water retention and soil conservation capacities have lowered water tables, causing shortages of agricultural and drinking water and exerting pressure on the lives of the poor. And as their lives have become more dependent on forests, more forests have been cut down, which has resulted in the perpetuation of a vicious circle. In the southern state of Tamil Nadu (population: approximately 62 million), forest degradation is proceeding as well. The degradation of around 700,000 hectares of forestland has provoked urgent remedial action. In response, the Tamil Nadu Afforestation Project was undertaken, and JBIC provided an ODA loan for the first phase of this Project (Loan Agreement signed in February 1997 for 13,324 million yen), helping to plant trees in around 430,000 hectares of degraded forest. Although forest cover has increased in Tamil Nadu as a result of this Project, it still remains at a low of 16.5% as of 2001, less than India's average. Therefore, there is a need to ensure a more sustained effort to regenerate degraded forests.