Miyawaki

With the support of the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi University has embraced the Miyawaki afforestation programme on its eco-friendly campus, which entails surveying potential natural vegetation, restoring top soil, and observing vegetational progression.

Akira Miyawaki, a Japanese Botanist is credited with developing this specific method of forest regeneration and afforestation  . The Miyawaki method is designed to produce dense, diversified, and fast-growing forests in limited space. It focuses on planting a diverse range of native plant species in close proximity to each other in order to  accelerate forest growth and maximise ecological benefits.

The mission of the team of researchers led by  Dr. Mahesh Mohan, Assistant Professor, School of Environmental Sciences, is the driving force behind the implementation of the project to find the most effective approach for the Miyawaki model in Kerala.

Once established, Miyawaki forests require minimal maintenance and are less vulnerable to pests and diseases.   The fast-growing trees  can capture and store a substantial quantity of carbon making it an eco-friendly method for combating climate change.

The method has been employed in various parts of the world to restore degraded lands, combat deforestation, and promote biodiversity. It is a  significant contribution to environmental rehabilitation and  forest management techniques. It  follows the principles of natural forestry, which include employing local plants and imitating the processes of how forests regenerate naturally.