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Urban green spaces
Jibran Khan
February 10, 2021
As our cities grow, it’s important to consider the impact these spaces have on nature. What was once grassland or forest is now covered in concrete leading to the all-important question that how have this “progress” affected our cities’ ecosystem? As the world learns more about the ongoing climate crises with every passing day, the need for green spaces for being featured in urban places is increasing prominently. The aims of urban greening are numerous, but effective; they improve the lives of the people and wildlife in the area, as well as making our cities eco-friendlier and pleasing to the eye.
Climate change isn’t just about rising sea levels; we can see the effects of excessive pollution in urban areas, the smog season in Lahore being an extreme example. With the country being amongst the top 10 countries impacted by the climate crises, these global challenges we face today threaten not only our way of life, but the survival of our planet.
To address these interconnected issues, the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has started to look within the city of Lahore for solutions to mitigate the causes of extreme weather anomalies experienced within the city. Instead of looking at rapid urban growth as a threat, a new strategy is considered as an opportunity to revive the lost glory of Lahore. It’s a chance to reimagine the very nature of the city from the ground up, and build a future that is more in balance with the Earth’s resources and ecosystems.
The Urban Forestry Miyawaki project, first considered to be an ambitious plan, placed an enormous responsibility on those who were tasked to reshape the city’s environment. Since the start of the project one burning question kept lingering in the minds of the people, what will it take to achieve the change that the city needs?
For over two decades the city was robbed from 70 percent of its tree cover in the name of development projects which resulted in the growing urban heat island phenomenon considered to be responsible for cloud bursts, which bring heavy rains in short spells, as seen in recent monsoons. Such heavy bursts are difficult for urban infrastructure to handle, according to climate change experts.
According to DG PHA Jawad Qureshi who is passionate about sustainable interventions mitigating climate change, Lahore has become the second most populated city of Pakistan with a population crossing over 20 million in a short span of time. ‘Humans have replaced the natural ground cover with roofs, pavement and other artificial materials that are considered impervious to water.
These surfaces significantly change how the land absorbs and releases energy and cause the urban heat island effect, a phenomenon where developed areas get hotter than nearby rural areas. As climate change pushes urban places towards dangerous temperatures, planners are scrambling to mitigate excessive heat,’ he adds
The silver lining in this story of Lahore is that recently PHA identified 51 potential sites across the city to build urban forests on the technique pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. A total of 1,60,605 indigenous trees and shrubs are being planted across all 51 sites spreading over a total area of 153.75 kanals. Expected to be completed by the end of February this year, these urban forests will act as the city’s carbon sinks.
Around the world, there is a growing movement to create urban forests in cities to improve their liveability and help fight climate change. “Such forests do most of the things large forests do: absorb carbon from the air, soak up storm water, provide habitat for wildlife, and cool the air in summer. They also help muffle city noise,” said DG PHA while explaining the purpose of the urban forestry project.
The urban forest movement began in Japan more than 40 years ago, when botany professor Dr Akira Miyawaki was researching methods of reforesting degraded land. He learned that with the proper soil preparation and optimal mix of native plants, accelerated growth is possible. A barren patch of land planted using the Miyawaki method can grow about a meter (slightly over 3 feet) a year and start looking like a forest in as little as three years, as opposed to decades for seedlings planted in an existing large forest.
The theory behind the Miyawaki method is that by planting vegetation far more densely than in a conventional forest, trees will grow tall quickly to compete with each other for sunlight and water. And that by using the right mix of trees and shrubs that grow to varying heights, the forest will end up with lush, verdant layers. PHA officials believe that all 51 forests across the city will become self-sustainable after three years and will be helpful in reviving the depleting water table.
The urban environment is constantly evolving and growing, as more people move to cities from rural areas and industries thrive. Urban afforestation projects have become incredibly important for many reasons; making cities less grey being one of them. One vital contribution that urban greening makes is combating climate change by making these urban places greener. While helping with more carbon absorption and managing urban flood water levels, it also provides a natural habitat for various wildlife species which play an important role in the urban ecosystem.
A concept that once just meant planting trees in cities has now grown into developing micro forests within the city. The world has witnessed the effects that climate change has on its population, wildlife, and landscape; they now intend to fight it. Projects such as these will prove to be a smart way to include greenery into our least environmentally friendly areas, and could be the way forward for eco-conscious society.
nation.com.pk
Jibran Khan
February 10, 2021
As our cities grow, it’s important to consider the impact these spaces have on nature. What was once grassland or forest is now covered in concrete leading to the all-important question that how have this “progress” affected our cities’ ecosystem? As the world learns more about the ongoing climate crises with every passing day, the need for green spaces for being featured in urban places is increasing prominently. The aims of urban greening are numerous, but effective; they improve the lives of the people and wildlife in the area, as well as making our cities eco-friendlier and pleasing to the eye.
Climate change isn’t just about rising sea levels; we can see the effects of excessive pollution in urban areas, the smog season in Lahore being an extreme example. With the country being amongst the top 10 countries impacted by the climate crises, these global challenges we face today threaten not only our way of life, but the survival of our planet.
To address these interconnected issues, the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has started to look within the city of Lahore for solutions to mitigate the causes of extreme weather anomalies experienced within the city. Instead of looking at rapid urban growth as a threat, a new strategy is considered as an opportunity to revive the lost glory of Lahore. It’s a chance to reimagine the very nature of the city from the ground up, and build a future that is more in balance with the Earth’s resources and ecosystems.
The Urban Forestry Miyawaki project, first considered to be an ambitious plan, placed an enormous responsibility on those who were tasked to reshape the city’s environment. Since the start of the project one burning question kept lingering in the minds of the people, what will it take to achieve the change that the city needs?
For over two decades the city was robbed from 70 percent of its tree cover in the name of development projects which resulted in the growing urban heat island phenomenon considered to be responsible for cloud bursts, which bring heavy rains in short spells, as seen in recent monsoons. Such heavy bursts are difficult for urban infrastructure to handle, according to climate change experts.
According to DG PHA Jawad Qureshi who is passionate about sustainable interventions mitigating climate change, Lahore has become the second most populated city of Pakistan with a population crossing over 20 million in a short span of time. ‘Humans have replaced the natural ground cover with roofs, pavement and other artificial materials that are considered impervious to water.
These surfaces significantly change how the land absorbs and releases energy and cause the urban heat island effect, a phenomenon where developed areas get hotter than nearby rural areas. As climate change pushes urban places towards dangerous temperatures, planners are scrambling to mitigate excessive heat,’ he adds
The silver lining in this story of Lahore is that recently PHA identified 51 potential sites across the city to build urban forests on the technique pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. A total of 1,60,605 indigenous trees and shrubs are being planted across all 51 sites spreading over a total area of 153.75 kanals. Expected to be completed by the end of February this year, these urban forests will act as the city’s carbon sinks.
Around the world, there is a growing movement to create urban forests in cities to improve their liveability and help fight climate change. “Such forests do most of the things large forests do: absorb carbon from the air, soak up storm water, provide habitat for wildlife, and cool the air in summer. They also help muffle city noise,” said DG PHA while explaining the purpose of the urban forestry project.
The urban forest movement began in Japan more than 40 years ago, when botany professor Dr Akira Miyawaki was researching methods of reforesting degraded land. He learned that with the proper soil preparation and optimal mix of native plants, accelerated growth is possible. A barren patch of land planted using the Miyawaki method can grow about a meter (slightly over 3 feet) a year and start looking like a forest in as little as three years, as opposed to decades for seedlings planted in an existing large forest.
The theory behind the Miyawaki method is that by planting vegetation far more densely than in a conventional forest, trees will grow tall quickly to compete with each other for sunlight and water. And that by using the right mix of trees and shrubs that grow to varying heights, the forest will end up with lush, verdant layers. PHA officials believe that all 51 forests across the city will become self-sustainable after three years and will be helpful in reviving the depleting water table.
The urban environment is constantly evolving and growing, as more people move to cities from rural areas and industries thrive. Urban afforestation projects have become incredibly important for many reasons; making cities less grey being one of them. One vital contribution that urban greening makes is combating climate change by making these urban places greener. While helping with more carbon absorption and managing urban flood water levels, it also provides a natural habitat for various wildlife species which play an important role in the urban ecosystem.
A concept that once just meant planting trees in cities has now grown into developing micro forests within the city. The world has witnessed the effects that climate change has on its population, wildlife, and landscape; they now intend to fight it. Projects such as these will prove to be a smart way to include greenery into our least environmentally friendly areas, and could be the way forward for eco-conscious society.
Urban green spaces
As our cities grow, it’s important to consider the impact these spaces have on nature. What was once grassland or forest is now covered in concrete
nation.com.pk
