Dehradun is witnessing rapid climate change impacts, with a significant decline in forest cover worsening environmental risks. A recent study by Rahul from the Civil Engineering Department of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand University, published in the International Journal of Environment and Climate Change (August 2024), reveals that the city lost 684 hectares of tree cover between 2001 and 2024. This loss has released nearly 443 kilotons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, directly fueling climate change.
According to the study, Dehradun had 1,24,000 hectares of natural forest in 2020, but by 2024, 41 hectares had been cleared, adding 12.4 kilotons of carbon dioxide into the air. Reduced tree cover has increased local temperatures, lowered water availability, and endangered biodiversity. Scientists link these changes directly to rising climate threats.
The research also highlights that tourism in Dehradun and Uttarakhand grew by nearly 30% between 2019 and 2025. While there was a temporary decline during the Covid-19 pandemic, visitor numbers rebounded sharply afterward. The surge in tourism has led to large-scale waste generation, pollution, and unauthorized construction, all of which have accelerated deforestation and ecological imbalance.
