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• Kuharianwali, a village in Punjab, has become an example of expanding forest cover.
  • As of 2021, the district had just 1.34 % forest cover, one of the lowest in the state.
• The district administration initiated a project called “My village, my forest” in October 2021.
  • The idea was to utilize unused land in the village and develop a “forest” by applying the so-called Miyawaki method.
  • In less than a year, the area is now full of plants such as neem, Arjun, Ashok, Jamun, guava and others.
  • The forest is now self-sustainable as plants have gained enough strength.

Miyawaki method

• The Miyawaki method was designed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki in the 1980s.
• It is a technique to create micro forests over small plots of land.
  • Planting three to four saplings per square meter, using native varieties adapted to local conditions.
  • It Works effectively irrespective of soil and climate conditions.
  • Plants require eight to nine months of care before reaching a point where the micro forest becomes self-sustaining.
• The method requires planting a wide variety of plants in a fairly dense manner so that the plot of land has different layers of a forest such as shrubs, trees, and canopies – on small plots of land, turning them into tiny forests.
• Through this method, mini forests grow 10 times faster and become 30 times denser and 100 times more bio-diverse than those planted through conventional methods.
• Significance
  • Help lower temperatures.
  • Reduce air and noise pollution.
  • Attracts local birds and insects.
  • Create carbon sinks up to 30 times or more Carbon-dioxide absorption as compared to conventional forests.
• However, such forests lack some qualities of natural forests, such as medicinal properties and the ability to bring rain.

https://indianexpress.com/article/governance/with-micro-forests-how-a-district-in-punjab-expands-its-green-cover-8139702/

https://t.me/+hJqMV1O0se03Njk9

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