India’s Urban Heat Island Crisis: Delhi’s Thermal Retention Problem and the Framework for Climate-Resilient Urban Planning
Delhi and the National Capital Region are experiencing longer, more intense, and more dangerous heatwaves, with urban temperatures consistently exceeding natural seasonal averages due to the compounding effect of rapid urbanisation, concrete-heavy infrastructure, declining green cover, and increasing waste heat from air conditioning and vehicular traffic. The phenomenon, described by urban climate scientists as a…