As the Tohoku area recovers and renews itself after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, one of the most valuable and hopeful steps is the Great Forest Wall Project. The project of planting nearly 300 km of trees along the northeast coast from Iwate to Miyagi to Fukushima will take time, but will establish a strong barrier, in 20 years time, to protect people and their way of life.
Thousands of saplings have already been planted over the past two years, but the tree seawall will require many more if it is going to regenerate the Tohoku forests strongly enough to withstand another tsunami. It is estimated that 90 million trees will be needed in total to provide adequate coverage over the 300 km distance. It is expected that the tree seawall will cut the power of tsunamis by 50 percent and reduce undertow dangers.
The area will need more than just trees, too. Environmentalists are calling for a more thorough evaluation of what will best protect residents and maintain the ecosystems that provide a livelihood to the region.