The Miyawaki Approach to Urban Afforestation

The Miyawaki method of Urban afforestation deploys planting trees/ saplings close together resulting in small forests. They are best suited for urban areas where land is scarce. The method is the brainchild of a Japanese botanist, Dr. Akira Mayawaki. He has planted 40 million trees in 15 countries, from Japan to Southeast Asia, Brazil and India.

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Some of the benefits of these urban forests are:

• 10x faster growth
• 20x more biodiversity
• 30x denser
• Self-sustaining
• Local plantation
• Beautification of concrete
• Soil protection
• Teamwork

These forests have the immediate advantages of cooling urban cities, cleaning the air, sustaining wildlife, and creating carbon sinks, and are becoming very popular in corporate and government corridors in India. The idea is to select native and local plants of the area and plant 15 to 30 different species of trees and shrubs close together – two to four trees per square meter resulting in dense forests. It is estimated that a natural forest might take closer to 200 years to grow while the Miyawaki forests can bloom in about 20 years’ time. Some initial care is required in the form of watering and weeding to help the forest grow and establish itself. Also, read An Introduction to Biophilic Design or Green Architecture.

It is important to establish the soil type, and native species, prepare the planting site and arrange the saplings. However, critics have accused the Miyawaki forests of not meeting the fundamentals of ecological restoration in India.  In a race to achieve results faster, people have used non-native faster-growing trees instead of native slow-growth species. If not done right, this could lead to planting the wrong trees in the wrong soils which could lead to depletion of the soil quality, reduction of biodiversity, as well as hampering the natural ecosystem.

India is struggling to reduce its carbon footprint and these forests could be a boon to achieving this milestone as well as reducing urban pollution if done rightly. Also, read Brace Up For Carbon Credit Trading in India.