MIYAWAKI
FORESTS - ENVIRONMENT
News:
PM Modi talks of Miyawaki
forests in Mann ki Baat
What's
in the news?
●
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his
latest ‘Mann ki baat’ episode spoke about Miyawaki plantation, the Japanese
method of creating dense urban forests in a small area.
Key
takeaways:
●
The PM also cited the example of a Kerala-based teacher, Raafi Ramnath,
who used the Miyawaki technique to transform a barren land into a mini forest
called Vidyavanam by planting 115 varieties of trees.
Miyawaki
forests:
●
The methodology was developed in the
1970s, with the basic objective to densify
green cover within a small parcel of land.
●
It is named after Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki.
Features:
●
In the Miyawaki technique, various native
species of plants are planted close to
each other so that the greens receive sunlight only from the top and grow
upwards rather than sideways.
●
This method involves planting two to four
different types of indigenous trees within every
square metre.
●
In this method, the trees become
self-sustaining and they grow to their full length within three years.
●
As a result, the plantation becomes
approximately 30 times denser, grows 10 times faster and becomes
maintenance-free after a span of 3 years.
Process:
●
The native trees of the region are
identified and divided into four layers - shrub, sub-tree, tree, and canopy.
●
The quality of soil is analyzed and
biomass which would help enhance the perforation capacity, water retention
capacity, and nutrients in it, is mixed with it.
●
The ground is covered with a thick layer
of mulch.
Need
of Miyawaki forests:
●
To fight climate change.
●
To curb rising pollution levels.
●
To increase the green cover of the urban
areas.
Significance:
●
The plants used in the Miyawaki method are
mostly self-sustaining and don’t require
regular maintenance like manuring and watering.
●
They help lower temperatures in concrete
heat islands, reduce air and noise pollution, attract local birds and insects,
and create carbon sinks.