Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday inaugurated the world’s largest Miyawaki urban forest in Lahore under the 10 billion tree plantation initiative.
The forest has been cultivated over 100 kanals with nearly 165,000 plants that will grow 10 times faster than in a normal forest under the Miyawaki plantation technique.
Khan said the Miyawki forest will bring back the green glory and beauty of Lahore which was once known as the city of gardens. The launch of the world’s biggest Miyawaki urban forest in Lahore is “just the beginning” of the steps being taken by the government for a greener and cleaner Pakistan, he said.
Urban trees can help cut air pollution in the city where the silent killer smog and air pollution pose serious health risks. The government aims to reverse the effects of environmental neglect during Lahore’s urban development, the premier said. The plantation is vital to offer our future generations a clean and healthy environment, he said.
Urban forests can help to improve people’s health, reduce the harmful effects of air pollution, and are integral to climate change mitigation.
He claimed only 640 million plants were planted during 64 years in Pakistan, while one billion trees were planted in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province itself by his party, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), from 2013 to 2018. The government’s goal is to plant 10 billion trees across the country.
Imran Khan said the biggest urban forest in Lahore “is dedicated to Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki” who died last month. At least 53 other Miyawaki forests are being developed in different parts of Lahore to reduce pollution and combat climate change. All trees have been geotagged to monitor growth and development.
What is Miyawaki method?
The Miyawaki method of plantation is based on the work of Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. Under this afforestation technique, the miniature forests can grow 10 times faster, become 30 times denser and 100 times more biodiverse than those planted by conventional method plantation techniques. Miyawaki forests can grow into mature ecosystems in just 20 years as compared to the 200 years it can take a forest to regenerate on its own, studies suggest.
