India's Green Cover Declines to 31.35% as Non-Green Landscapes Expand, Study Shows

A new analysis by Delhi-based research organisation Climate Trends reveals that India's green cover dropped from 36.9% in 2001 to 31.35% in 2025. The shift toward non-green landscapes has contributed to rising summer temperatures across the country.

India experienced a noticeable decline in its overall green cover between 2001 and 2025, according to a recent analysis released by Delhi-based climate research organisation Climate Trends. The study highlights that the country's green-cover area shrank from approximately 36.95 percent in 2001 down to 31.35 percent in 2025.

Conversely, non-green land expanded by 5.6 percentage points during the same timeframe, moving from 63.05 percent to 68.65 percent. This shift points to the ongoing expansion of anthropogenic and sparsely vegetated surfaces across large parts of the country.

According to the findings, this transition in land use has contributed to rising summer temperatures nationwide. The research indicates that the difference in average summer temperature between green and non-green land-cover categories ranged from approximately 1 to 2.5 degrees Celsius over the study period. This temperature variance underscores the practical role that vegetation plays in regulating land-surface thermal conditions.

Dr. Palak Balyan, research lead at Climate Trends, noted that the data positions vegetation beyond a purely ecological asset, identifying it as a critical component of India's climate-adaptation infrastructure. She explained that the persistent temperature difference of 1 to 2.5 degrees Celsius between green and non-green landscapes is driven by the role of vegetation in regulating local thermal conditions through shading, moisture retention, and evapotranspiration.

Furthermore, the analysis observed that regions which suffered a loss of green cover generally experienced stronger summer warming, although researchers noted that regional climate forcing also played a part in overall temperature increases.

"The findings from Climate Trends offer critical data for businesses and policymakers looking at long-term infrastructure and sustainability planning in India. As non-green surfaces continue to expand and local temperatures rise by up to 2.5 degrees Celsius, industries operating in these changing urban and regional environments must factor climate resilience and environmental infrastructure into their operational strategies. Integrating green assets is no longer just an ecological checkbox, but a practical necessity for sustainable commercial growth." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes