Assessing the Role of Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Urban Climate Change: A Review of Evidence from Bengaluru, India

Abstract

Bengaluru, India's foremost technology hub and the capital of Karnataka state, has experienced one of the most rapid urban expansions in South Asian history, transforming its physical landscape, energy demand, and atmospheric composition over barely four decades. This critical narrative review synthesises peer-reviewed evidence on the role of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in driving urban climate change in Bengaluru, drawing on published research spanning land use and land cover change, sectoral emission analysis, surface temperature and precipitation trends, urban heat island dynamics, and climate policy evaluation. The review documents a dramatic expansion of Bengaluru's built-up footprint — from approximately 69 square kilometres in the early 1970s to approximately 455 square kilometres by 2010, with continued growth thereafter — accompanied by a precipitous decline in vegetated cover and the loss of many of the city's historically extensive water bodies. A narrative synthesis methodology was adopted for this review. Relevant literature was identified through systematic searches of major scientific databases using predefined search strings combined with Boolean operators. These landscape transformations, combined with emissions from transport, energy consumption, and industry, have contributed to measurable warming of the urban surface, elevated pollutant concentrations, increased precipitation variability, and heightened risks of flooding and heat stress. Whilst precise emission attribution remains constrained by the absence of comprehensive city-level GHG inventories and high-resolution climatic observation networks, convergent evidence from remote sensing, atmospheric science, and surface observations points to a significant anthropogenic contribution to Bengaluru's changing climate. The review critically evaluates national and subnational policy frameworks, identifies key methodological and data gaps, and recommends priorities for strengthening the evidence base in support of equitable and effective urban climate governance.