Tackling Extreme Heat through Urban Forestry in Delhi

This briefing by RMI argues for a strategic, science-based approach to urban forestry in Delhi to mitigate extreme heat and the urban heat island effect, emphasizing the use of native species and site-specific planning over emergency responses.

• Delhi faces severe heat stress, with temperatures reaching a record 49°C (120°F) on May 15th. The city experiences an urban heat island effect where built-up areas can be 2°C to 9°C hotter than rural surroundings, and night-time temperatures in these areas were 20°C hotter than agricultural and forest lands during the May heatwave.
• Nature-based solutions offer significant cooling potential for Delhi, which has 18,000 parks (nearly 20,000 acres), the Yamuna floodplain, and over 8.5 square kilometers of mixed forests on the Central Ridge. Green cover can reduce physiologically equivalent temperatures by 5–14 percent, and trees can provide cooling equivalent to a 7 kilowatt air conditioner.
• Current urban forestry in Delhi is hindered by deforestation and poor species selection, specifically the spread of non-native invasive species like Prosopis juliflora (vilayati kikar) and Lantana camara. Approximately 70 percent of Delhi's forest cover consists of low-density forests that require reforesting to maximize heat mitigation.
• To maximize ecosystem health and heat mitigation, the author recommends five practices: creating a scientific species selection framework for micro-habitats, modeling planting on undisturbed forest ecosystems, adhering to root and soil health management to reduce irrigation dependency, using biological methods for invasive species control, and ensuring nurseries supply locally adapted native species.
• Heat resilience efforts must prioritize equity, as poorer households in dense urban areas lack green cover and face higher heat stress. These areas can be supported through linear plantations along roads or scattered individual trees.

APA

Anand, R. (2022). Tackling Extreme Heat through Urban Forestry in Delhi. RMI. https://rmi.org/resources/tackling-extreme-heat-through-urban-forestry-in-delhi/

Chicago

Anand, Raghav. Tackling Extreme Heat through Urban Forestry in Delhi. RMI, 2022. https://rmi.org/resources/tackling-extreme-heat-through-urban-forestry-in-delhi/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Anand |first1=Raghav |title=Tackling Extreme Heat through Urban Forestry in Delhi |publisher=RMI |date=7 September 2022 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/tackling-extreme-heat-through-urban-forestry-in-delhi/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{anand2022tackling, author = {Anand, Raghav}, title = {{Tackling Extreme Heat through Urban Forestry in Delhi}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2022}, month = sep, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/tackling-extreme-heat-through-urban-forestry-in-delhi/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }