Bengaluru: A new study by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has revealed a dramatic and alarming transformation of Bengaluru’s landscape: concrete now covers 87.6% of the city, leaving only 12% for green and blue spaces like vegetation and lakes.
Conducted by the Centre for Ecological Sciences and titled “Urban Heat Island Linkages with the Landscape Morphology”, the report paints a dire picture of the city’s climate, health, and ecological future.
🏙️ Concrete Surge and Shrinking Nature
Over the past decade, Bengaluru’s built-up area has increased by 10%, with unchecked urban sprawl devouring the city’s remaining open spaces. According to the study:
- Vegetation cover has dropped by 88% since the 1970s
- Water bodies have declined by 79%
- Built-up areas have surged by an astonishing 1,078% since the formation of BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) in the early 2000s
🌡️ Urban Heat Archipelagos: A City Overheating
The study describes the formation of “urban heat archipelagos”—clusters of heat islands across Bengaluru where surface temperatures routinely cross 44°C.
Cooler zones that once existed in the 1990s, such as IISc, GKVK, and Jnanabharathi, are now threatened by encroaching construction and temperature rise.
Prof. T.V. Ramachandra, co-author of the study, highlighted that the loss of ‘lung spaces’—green zones critical for cooling and air quality—is linked to increased health issues, including cardiovascular and lifestyle-related diseases.
🏗️ Rules Ignored, Health Risk Ignored
The study also criticizes poor urban planning and enforcement, stating that the 30% open setback space requirement around buildings—crucial for thermal comfort—is routinely flouted, often due to corruption and lack of oversight.
“Bengaluru has moved from being porous and ecologically supportive to impermeable and unsustainable,” said Prof. Ramachandra. “This is damaging the city’s hydrology, ecology, and even economy.”
🚨 A Critical Ecological Threshold
With urban expansion now nearing 90%, Bengaluru has surpassed its environmental carrying capacity, the report warns. The city’s natural cooling mechanisms have all but disappeared, and without immediate restoration and sustainable planning, the future will only grow hotter and more hazardous.