A live debate: Could Indian cities boost resilience by embracing native trees?

The document discusses the tension between aesthetic and functional choices in urban greening across Indian cities, noting that many commonly planted exotic species are prone to uprooting during extreme weather events like cyclones. It highlights a lack of scientific rigour in national guidelines and fragmented institutional management of urban greenery, while weighing the biodiversity benefits of native species against the perceived hardiness of non-native species in urban environments.

• Many Indian cities rely on large exotic tree species, such as the Gulmohar, copperpod, and rain tree, which are susceptible to being uprooted during strong winds and cyclones due to their shallow root systems, causing infrastructural damage.
• Current urban planning in India often prioritises aesthetics and ease of maintenance over functionality, leading to the prevalence of fast-growing, non-native ornamental species in city avenues.
• There is a scientific debate regarding tree selection: native species are generally seen as better for supporting local fauna and ecosystem services, whereas some literature suggests non-native species may be hardier in modified urban spaces and better adapted to climate change.
• The management of urban green spaces in India is fragmented and lacks a clearly defined local authority, with responsibilities split inconsistently across various departments and agencies such as Garden, Pollution Control, or Town and Country Planning departments.
• The Urban Greening Guidelines 2014 issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development are criticised for lacking scientific rigour and failing to provide guidance on which authorities should assess and manage tree selection in urban landscapes.

APA

Caleb, P., & Fernandes, R. (n.d.). A live debate: Could Indian cities boost resilience by embracing native trees? Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/story/feature-a-live-debate-could-indian-cities-boost-resilience-by-embracing-native-trees

Chicago

Caleb, Pratibha, and Rithika Fernandes. A live debate: Could Indian cities boost resilience by embracing native trees? Climate and Development Knowledge Network, n.d. https://cdkn.org/story/feature-a-live-debate-could-indian-cities-boost-resilience-by-embracing-native-trees.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Caleb |first1=Pratibha |last2=Fernandes |first2=Rithika |title=A live debate: Could Indian cities boost resilience by embracing native trees? |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |url=https://cdkn.org/story/feature-a-live-debate-could-indian-cities-boost-resilience-by-embracing-native-trees |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{calebndlive, author = {Caleb, Pratibha and Fernandes, Rithika}, title = {{A live debate: Could Indian cities boost resilience by embracing native trees?}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, url = {https://cdkn.org/story/feature-a-live-debate-could-indian-cities-boost-resilience-by-embracing-native-trees}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }