Author(s): Kailasanathan Balamurugan; Minakshee Mahananda; Rashmipriya Behera
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Keywords: Riverbank erosion rates; Geospatial analysis; Erodible hotspots; Bank material characterization
Abstract: Sediment transport and morphodynamics are pivotal processes influencing fluvial, coastal and estuarine environments. Riverbank erosion assessment is critical for estimating rates of erosion, quantifying sediment transport dynamics, predicting morphological changes, and formulating adaptive management strategies to mitigate impacts on fluvial systems and dependent ecosystems. The Mahanadi River is one of the important rivers in India, having dynamic fluvial riverine system, with notable morphological variability driven by erosion and accretion processes, exhibits the complex interaction between sediment transport and riverbank. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the erosion susceptibility and identify erosion hotspot riverbanks under the study reach by integrating geospatial approaches and riverbank bed material characterization. The geomorphological metrics have been derived from geospatial multi-temporal spatial data and the bank erosion rates have been estimated by highlighting erosion and accretion hotspots. By coupling field-based sampling of riverbank materials with geospatial trends, this study aims to uncover the localized drivers influencing erosion and deposition patterns.
Year: 2025