Reflections from the first-ever International Symposium on Miyawaki Forests and Urban Forests

In October 2024, Carbon Positive Australia had the privilege of attending the inaugural International Symposium on Miyawaki Forests and Urban Forests in Yokohama, Japan. This first-of-its-kind event, supported by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) under the G20 Global Land Initiative, brought together a diverse group of forest makers, environmental scientists, educators, landscape architects, and community advocates from around the world. Recognising the Miyawaki method as a key driver in achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 15) – Life on Land – the symposium highlighted the method’s potential to support climate resilience, biodiversity restoration, and sustainable land management on a global scale.

Pioneered by Dr. Akira Miyawaki, the Miyawaki method has become a transformative tool for restoring degraded lands and enhancing biodiversity across varied landscapes. The recent symposium, attended by representatives from 27 nations, highlighted this method’s remarkable impact and adaptability. From the hectare-wide Metro Forest in Bangkok — once a rubbish-strewn site, now thriving with biodiversity and serving as an educational and recreational space — to small, dense urban pockets worldwide, Miyawaki forests are reshaping our relationship with the natural world. In Australia, they’re enhancing STEM education as nature-based labs for students, creating essential green spaces in urban areas, and regenerating degraded farmland for threatened species.

The symposium’s support under the G20 Global Land Initiative recognised the Miyawaki method as a notable tool for achieving SDG 15: Life on Land — a goal focused on sustainable forest management, combating desertification, and halting biodiversity loss. By endorsing the Miyawaki method, this initiative emphasises that healthy ecosystems are key for achieving many global SDGs, including Zero Hunger (SDG 2), as fertile land is vital for food production and Climate Action (SDG 13), as reforestation helps regulate temperatures and capture carbon.

Insights and learnings: amplifying a grassroots movement

The symposium underscored the powerful grassroots movement behind these forests. One inspiring story came from the OtherForest project in Beirut, Lebanon, which transformed unused land between main roads into a Miyawaki forest. This pocket forest has now become a place for ecological and social regeneration. Today, local creatives use it to host workshops, fostering a vibrant community space within a dense cityscape.

In Japan, Miyawaki forests are being planted in areas prone to natural disasters, such as tsunamis, as a way to enhance disaster resilience. Attendees also heard from scientists who are studying the method’s outcomes in varying bioclimates to better understand its adaptability. The potential of this method goes far beyond individual, small-scale projects, as it has proven effective in larger degraded regions. By restoring biodiversity, rejuvenating soils, capturing carbon, and providing resilience against climate extremes, Miyawaki forests are adaptable solutions that can protect and nurture life on many scales.

A series of field trips offered the opportunity to witness 40-year-old Miyawaki forests in urban and rural areas, while workshops provided hands-on experiences in soil preparation, seedling care, and forest planting — the Miyawaki way.

The sense of community that developed over a shared environmental purpose those five days highlighted that while science and method are essential, the broader impact of Miyawaki forests lies in the connections they cultivate.

These community-driven forests are about more than just trees —they are about fostering collective purpose, building resilience, and bringing communities together for a shared commitment to environmental stewardship. They are a testament to Professor Miyawaki’s vision for nurturing resilient ecosystems and reconnecting people with nature.

Field trip to a local nursery, learning how to prepare acorn seedlings and mix soil for planting.

Key takeaways

These Miyawaki forests are far from a one-size-fits-all solution. They vary in size, shape, and purpose, each designed to meet unique environmental and social goals. A key takeaway from the symposium was the importance of developing consistent guidelines for the planting of Miyawaki forests, with particular emphasis on the importance of potential native vegetation (PNV), also referred to as “step zero”. This ensures each project is ecologically sound and context-specific.

Equally evident was the need to complement the strong grassroots energy behind these projects with supportive frameworks from organisations, as well as private and public institutions. This collaborative approach will enable the scaling of Miyawaki forests in a way that meaningfully supports ecological and social restoration efforts worldwide, addressing our most pressing global challenges.

Carbon Positive Australia works directly with over a dozen tiny forest makers and community leaders across Australia, including Anna Noon (The Groundswell Collective), Edwina Robinson (The Climate Factory), Dr Grey Coupland (Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University), and Brett Krause (Brettacorp Inc.), just to name a few. It was an absolute pleasure meeting our planting partners — some in person for the first time — and seeing them present their work and their important contributions to our collective efforts.

Although supported by the G20, the symposium was only possible due to the tireless efforts of volunteers from the Morino Project. Their dedication to creating an engaging, hands-on environment was instrumental, from managing logistics to delivering interactive workshops.

At Carbon Positive Australia, we’re committed to exploring innovative reforestation practices like the Miyawaki method to restore degraded ecosystems and enhance urban biodiversity.

We are committed to building lasting partnerships with communities and organisations across Australia because we believe that, by working together, we can help safeguard our planet’s ecosystems and build a greener, more sustainable future for generations to come. You can support the growth of many more of these forests by joining the movement here.

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