Reclaiming Beirut: Using Miyawaki Forests to green Beirut and restore hope in the city

In 2019, after decades of corruption, intense pollution and a severe economic collapse, protestors flooded the streets of Beirut demanding change. Amongst them was environmental architect and one of our first SUGi Forest Makers, Adib Dada. 

Deep into the revolution, Adib was in the second phase of his RiverLESS SUGi Pocket Forest, a project he designed with SUGi to help regenerate The Beirut River and reclaim it as a public space. On the anniversary of Lebanon’s Independence Day, after a protest at Martyrs Square, he took people directly from the streets and brought them to plant trees on the banks of The Beirut River.

In this episode of SUGi Talks, we speak with Adib Dada about how he is planting Miyawaki forests in Beirut to tackle pollution, reclaim public space and restore hope in the Lebanese people. Together we speak about the monumental challenges the city faces, and how communities have come together to find alternative paths forward. 

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