TN to hold tree census in Chennai, 5 other major cities
Other than Chennai, the census and assessment will be conducted in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Madurai, Tiruchy, and Salem as part of the government's effort to strengthen climate resilience and promote sustainable urban development.
Forest Department will conduct a comprehensive tree census and green space assessment
CHENNAI: The Forest Department will conduct a comprehensive tree census and green space assessment in six major cities, including Chennai, to protect existing greenery and to create new ones.
Other than Chennai, the census and assessment will be conducted in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Madurai, Tiruchy, and Salem as part of the government's effort to strengthen climate resilience and promote sustainable urban development.
"The initiative aims to accurately estimate the current extent, distribution, and density of green spaces using high-resolution satellite imagery and advanced geospatial technologies. A detailed urban tree inventory will be created by identifying and geo-tagging individual trees, documenting species, measuring structural parameters such as diameter at breast height (DBH), height and canopy width, and assessing overall tree health," an official said.
The official added that the project will quantify key ecosystem services provided by urban greenery, including carbon sequestration, air pollution reduction, storm water mitigation and heat-island moderation. It will also identify under-utilised and vacant lands suitable for future greening and urban forestry interventions.
Adopting new-age technologies, a major component of the initiative is the development of an integrated desktop/web-based dashboard incorporating remote sensing, GIS, AI-powered image processing, and ecosystem service modelling. The tool will offer real-time insights to support evidence-based decision-making by city planners and administrators.
During the census, special focus will be given to indigenous and heritage trees, trees outside forests (TOFs), and green spaces.
The findings will be integrated into city master plans and climate resilience strategies to provide spatially explicit recommendations for enhancing urban green cover, improving biodiversity, and strengthening nature-based climate adaptation measures. This initiative marks a significant step towards creating healthier, greener, and more sustainable cities across Tamil Nadu, the department added.
The forest department has invited reputed institutions and organisations to conduct the census in the selected cities and allocated Rs 90 lakh for the exercise.