Urban trees and shade: plan now for the next summer

Shade makes hot days easier to bear, and trees are one of the long-term fixes India's heat guidelines point to.

What the guidelines say. The National Disaster Management Authority's guidelines for heat action plans say states should consider increasing the green cover in a city to reduce the urban heat island effect, or implementing cool roofs. They list "improving the forest coverage and green areas" as a long-term measure. NDMA also notes that slum communities often lack trees and shade, which adds to their heat risk.

Shade for buildings. NDMA's Guidelines for Cooling Centers (May 2025) say external walls should be protected from the sun, and that shade from trees is a good way to do this. Walls facing south, east and west matter most; where there are no trees, verandahs or awnings can do the same job.

Public support. Under the Environment Ministry's Nagar Van Yojana for urban forests, ₹564.39 crore had been released to states and union territories from 2020-21, including ₹33.02 crore to Telangana, according to a Lok Sabha reply on 3 August 2026.

What a colony can do. Talk to your municipal or forest department about planting along roads, parks and school grounds, protect young saplings with guards, and plan for watering through the dry months. Start with streets and walls that face the afternoon sun.

Find others planting near you in the Soshyal El Niño help room.

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