Jawad Qadir, an environmentalist leading various Miyawaki forest projects in Lahore, has said that the forests planted during the initial phase have now reached a successful stage, including those at Jailani Park, Shadman, and Gulshan Iqbal Park.
“We worked on a Miyawaki forest in Ittehad Town, consisting of 52 species,” he stated. “Within a span of four years, the plants have now achieved a height of 35 feet,” he told Jarida Today.
He also mentioned that the first Miyawaki forest in Lahore was planted in Dream Gardens, a private society, around seven years ago, where the height of the trees now exceeds 35 feet.
Universally, 25% of a country’s land should be covered by plants and trees. However, in Pakistan, only 4.98% of the land is covered by forests, which is a low percentage and contributes to worsening climate change.
Jawad Qadir stressed the urgent need to plant more trees on empty lands or in areas where trees are being cut. He added that as land is becoming more expensive and scarce in cities, the Miyawaki concept of planting has gained importance.
Discussing the procedure, he explained that natural forests have different plants on different layers, including canopy trees, sub-canopy trees, shrubs, and ground-level plants. “In Miyawaki, these are planted in a dense area, which creates competition between canopies and roots, resulting in faster growth,” he said.
“Due to this process, the plants grow in one year instead of five, regardless of the variety,” he added. He further explained that when this system is introduced to local land, the technology is localized by incorporating native plant species such as Neem, Arjun, and Chinaberry.
He said the procedure involves three steps: first, breaking down the hard and solid crust of the land up to four feet; second, using heavy organic matter; and third, developing the plantation in layers. “We have observed that the green canopy has developed up to 14-15 feet in a single year, and we need that same green canopy,” he said.
Highlighting an interesting aspect, he said the photosynthesis rate of Miyawaki forest trees was also very high due to their fast growth, which means the plants absorb and release carbon dioxide and oxygen at a high rate. Similarly, he mentioned that these plants had an active transpiration process, which involved the movement of water from the aerial parts of the plant.
He also stated that the Miyawaki method can contribute to biodiversity, as different species of birds can be found in a single area. He added that the local plants grown in Miyawaki forests produce various types of fruits that, while not suitable for human consumption due to their characteristics, attract birds. “As a result, we have observed distinct species of birds in these areas,” he said.
These forests are used for the beautification and betterment of the environment, he added, noting that the power to implement such models lies in the hands of the authorities. “But now, we have a successful model for such environment-friendly projects,” he concluded.
Speaking with Jarida Today, agricultural expert Hafiz Muhammad Wasi pointed out that as the population increases, forests are being destroyed, and cities are expanding. He explained that just as petrol pumps in specific parts of the city provide fuel to people, these Miyawaki forests provide oxygen to urban populations.
He said the government should fully support the initiative, as it would reduce pollution, heat waves and smog in cities. Talking about the origin of this technique, he said that Akira Miyawaki, an award-winning botanist from Japan, had introduced the Miyawaki method of planting in the 1970s. He said the botanist had claimed that this system would reduce the growth time of trees from 200 years to 20 years, which would help combat climate disruption.
Later, practice across the world proved his claim, and the methodology was adopted as an effective real-time solution to climate challenges. Affected by heat waves in the summers and smog in the winters, Pakistani urban settlements have been implementing the Miyawaki system of afforestation for the past four years.