Nepal, March 2 -- The last remaining patches of open space in Kathmandu are turned into compact forests Nepal is known internationally for its successful community forestry programme, and the country has doubled its forest cover to over 45% in the last 25 years.

But the opposite is true for densely populated urban centres like Kathmandu Valley which have turned into concrete jungles, with no remaining open spaces. Air pollution is increasing to hazardous levels, and the urban heat bubble means the temperature in the city is higher than in the outskirts.

But there is a solution with a proven track record from similar densely populated cities in Japan - the 'Miyawaki Method' of growing local varieties of trees in any small patch of land ...