On 12 July 2026 Ahmedabad set a Guinness World Record by planting 361,000 saplings in one hour at Bhadaj, Gujarat, using the Miyawaki method over about 76,000 square metres.
Record details
- Number planted: 361,000 saplings (3.61 lakh) in one hour.
- Date & place: 12 July 2026; Bhadaj, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
- Area covered: ~76,000 square metres.
- Species mix: 35 indigenous species.
Miyawaki method — key features
- Origin: Developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki.
- Approach: Dense planting of native species to form multi-layered ‘mini-forests’.
- Ecological goal: Rapid canopy closure, increased local biodiversity and soil stabilisation in small urban plots.
- Typical use: Urban afforestation, degraded-land restoration, roadside and institutional green belts.
Previous record and ongoing targets
- Earlier one-hour record: Assam — 331,929 trees on 15 September 2023.
- Related planting targets: Plans cited — 1.25 crore trees for Gandhinagar LS constituency and 50 lakh for Ahmedabad Municipal area.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- Guinness World Records: Independent verifier of time-bound and quantified human achievements.
- Indigenous species: Native to a region; preferred in Miyawaki plantations for local adaptation and ecosystem services.
- Terminology: Miyawaki plantations often termed ‘urban mini-forests’ in ecological literature.