Work underway on war-footing to develop Miyawaki forests in Islamabad

Islamabad: The Capital Development Authority is successfully implementing the Miyawaki Forests project and the first phase of work on various locations has been completed ahead of time.

The official record showed that initial work has been done in Fatima Jinnah Park and sector I-10 where thousands of local plants have been planted according to the techniques adopted to develop Miyawaki forests.

It is believed that the Miyawaki forests currently being planted would grow in next two to four

years but they would turn into thick jungle in ten years.

The staff workers of the civic agency have also got training for this specific technique is quite new in Pakistan. Prime Minister Imran Khan is taking a keen interest in growing Miyawaki

forests to achieve the target of planting ten billion trees across the country.

The climate change ministry has extended its cooperation in the selection of the plant species because it is necessary to rely on local species instead of foreign and invasive species that can have adverse impacts on the natural environment and health of the residents of the city as

well.

According to the CDA’s Environment Directorate, “The core principle of the Miyawaki method is the creation of multi-layered communities comprising tall trees, medium to short trees, and bottom weeds that function together as an entire forest ecosystem.”

“It allows Miyawaki forests to have nearly 30 times the surface area of single-layer lawns and parks, ideally creating a forest 30 times denser than usual,” it said.

CDA’s Director General Environment Naveed Khan Tareen said the green spaces not only increase the quality of the urban environment but also enhance local resilience and promote sustainable lifestyles by impacting the health and well-being of the residents.

“The work on Miyawaki forests is underway and we will develop them on twenty locations as part of the efforts to enhance green cover in the city,” he said.