UP government has recently issued an order making it compulsory for industries to adopt Japanese Miyawaki afforestation technique to curb its carbon footprint. Under it, UP state Pollution Control Board has recommended industries to grow high density ‘micro forests’ in a minimum 150 sq. meters of land to meet the mandatory requirement of 33% of area of total land owned by an industry.
The Miyawaki method of afforestation revolutionized the concept of urban afforestation by turning backyards into mini forests. Japan-inspired Miyawaki forests emerge as a popular solution to restoring degraded habitats in the country. Miyawaki managed to raise mini forests by promoting natural vegetation on land destroyed by natural calamities and due to human activity along the Japanese coastline.
- Miyawaki is a technique pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, that helps build dense, native forests.
- The approach is supposed to ensure that plant growth is 10 times faster and the resulting plantation is 30 times denser than usual.
- It involves planting dozens of native species in the same area and becomes maintenance-free after the first three years.
In Miyawaki forests, only the native species that are originally found in the forest land in that area are grown with specially prepared forest lawn soil having organic matter, water retention along with culture of micro-organisms. Such forests need minimum maintenance and have 99% survival rate.
Example-The ‘Nandavanam’ project, carried out in collaboration with the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, is one of several urban ‘green islands’ that have been initiated under Miyawaki technique.
