Shrinking Green Cover Leaves 76% Delhi Persistently Heat-Stressed, Finds New Report

Key Takeaways

• Shrinking Green Cover Leaves 76% Delhi Persistently Heat-Stressed, Finds New Report Reported By, Last Updated: June 02, 2026, 19:41 IST The city’s green cover reduced from 25.36% in 2014 to 14.14% in 2024, while waterbody extent shrank from 1.25% to 0.99% over the same period The report also highlighted that while the city heat action plans acknowledge the different vulnerable groups in Delhi, they do not offer any strategies that can increase their resilience.
• Representational image The heatwaves may be taking a toll on the national capital this summer, but the geospatial analysis confirms that nearly 76% of Delhi’s area is persistently heat-stressed due to the shrinking green cover, says a new report.
• The report prepared by the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment showed how the extreme heat intensified as the city kept losing its natural defences.
• While the green cover has shrunk from 25.36 per cent in 2014 to 14.14 per cent in 2024, the waterbody footprints have reduced from 1.25 per cent to 0.99 per cent in the same period.
• As a result, Delhi’s core area cools 3.8°C less than its peri-urban counterparts, causing heat stress to be retained round-the-clock in its dense, concrete-heavy neighbourhoods.