Once upon a time, we lived an agrarian life and were surrounded by nature. Gradually, our lives turned urban, and now we are surrounded by concrete. Plants and trees that are critical lungs for human well-being have almost disappeared. This has brought forward the need to bring nature to the cities to make urban living sustainable.
Urban forests are a cost-efficient, scalable, nature-based solution that can make urban living sustainable. They also help in climate change adaptation and mitigation. What are urban forests? According to Wikipedia, “An urban forest is a forest, or a collection of trees, that grow within a city, town or a suburb. In a wider sense, it may include any kind of woody plant vegetation growing in and around human settlements.”
Some of the key benefits of urban forests are:
a. Trees act as a breath of fresh air in the urban landscape. Strategically planted trees can create pockets of oxygen-rich haven in the midst of concrete. Trees are nature’s air purifiers, filtering pollution and releasing clean oxygen.
b. Urban forests also act as a means of carbon sequestration. Trees are the most natural mechanism for carbon sequestration and help reduce GHG emissions in cities.
c. Trees can help improve cities’ biodiversity and act as wildlife habitats. They attract many kinds of birds and animals and can help protect many species.
d. By reducing temperature within cities, they act as a natural mechanism for energy-efficient cooling.
e. A visit to urban forests can help improve its citizens’ physical and mental well-being.
While many cities worldwide boast urban forests, every city should have one. With the increasing population of cities, a greater area of urban forest is needed to provide fresh and clean air.
Utkarsh Majmudar 