Experts from the Indian Institute of Science and Environmental Management & Policy Research Institute have called for a climatological assessment of Bengaluru to determine how much—and what kind of—development can proceed without damaging the city’s environment and worsening temperatures. This call carries lessons for cities across India seeking to avoid repeating the mistakes of the ‘IT Capital of India’, which witnessed unchecked growth during the IT boom of the 1980s and 1990s and now shows signs of heading the Delhi way.
The Centre for Ecological Sciences, in its report ‘Urban Heat Island Linkages with Landscape Morphology’, highlights how unplanned expansion has increased paved surfaces and intensified the urban heat island effect. Higher temperatures compared to surrounding regions are driven by human activity, shrinking vegetation and the excessive use of heat-absorbing materials such as asphalt and concrete and heat-reflecting glass facades. Over decades, Bengaluru has seen a steady conversion of green spaces and water bodies into built-up areas, a trend widely linked to rising land surface temperatures. Research on urban form also shows that dense, poorly planned layouts can restrict airflow and trap heat within city spaces. Climatological assessment of urban development projects is therefore not optional but essential. It must account for impacts on humidity, rainfall, temperature patterns, air quality and population distribution. Urban India is expanding rapidly, with its population projected to reach 60 crore by 2031, up from 37.71 crore in 2011, and urban centres expected to contribute 75 percent of the GDP by 2030. Such growth demands infrastructure, but not at the cost of long-term sustainability.
Bengaluru stands as a cautionary tale of development undertaken without adequate scientific grounding. Today’s response—knee-jerk mega projects such as tunnel road networks—risks repeating the same mistake if pursued without rigorous assessment. Unchecked increases in built-up density, without ecological buffers, can intensify heat stress and raise energy demand for cooling. Meanwhile, warnings from agencies such as the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre on impending heat risks continue to receive limited policy attention. Climatological pre-development assessments must be made mandatory across urban India. Integrating ecology into planning—such as protecting green cover and limiting excessive paving—can help balance growth with resilience. Ignoring it is no longer merely an oversight; it’s a policy failure with lasting consequences.