Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad has entered the record books after a large-scale urban afforestation campaign resulted in the plantation of 361,000 saplings within one hour, highlighting the growing role of nature-based solutions in strengthening climate resilience and expanding urban green cover. The initiative, carried out at Bhadaj on the city’s outskirts, combined mass public participation with ecological restoration objectives.
The plantation exercise, organised by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), covered approximately 76,000 square metres and involved more than 25,000 volunteers, earning recognition from Guinness World Records for the scale of the effort completed within a single hour. The campaign focused on planting 35 indigenous tree species, reflecting an increasing emphasis on native vegetation rather than ornamental landscaping. Ecologists note that indigenous species are generally better adapted to local climatic conditions, require less maintenance and provide stronger ecological benefits by supporting birds, pollinators and other wildlife. The plantation was undertaken using the Miyawaki method, an afforestation technique that creates dense patches of native woodland by planting diverse species in carefully designed clusters. While originally developed in Japan, the approach has been widely adopted in Indian cities to establish compact urban forests that can accelerate vegetation growth, improve biodiversity and enhance carbon sequestration where land availability is limited.
The initiative also forms part of a broader regional plantation programme aimed at significantly increasing tree cover across Ahmedabad and the wider Gandhinagar parliamentary region. Urban planners increasingly regard such landscape-scale greening projects as critical investments in climate adaptation, particularly for rapidly expanding metropolitan areas facing rising temperatures, deteriorating air quality and increasing pressure on natural ecosystems. Beyond increasing tree numbers, experts emphasise that the long-term success of urban afforestation depends on sustained maintenance, monitoring and ecological management. Survival rates, species diversity, irrigation during establishment and protection from encroachment are considered just as important as the initial plantation itself. Large urban forests can deliver multiple environmental and social benefits, including reducing the urban heat island effect, improving air quality, enhancing groundwater recharge and creating accessible green spaces that contribute to public health and community well-being. Integrating such green infrastructure into city planning also supports broader goals of climate resilience and sustainable urban development.
For Ahmedabad, the record-setting plantation drive demonstrates the growing importance of citizen participation in environmental initiatives. However, urban sustainability specialists note that lasting ecological impact will depend on ensuring that newly planted saplings mature into healthy forests capable of supporting biodiversity and delivering long-term ecosystem services. If successfully maintained, the initiative could become an important model for combining civic engagement with climate-responsive urban planning.
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Ahmedabad Sets Record With Massive Urban Plantation Drive
