MICRO FORESTS | IAS GYAN

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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.