Population growth, land use and land cover transformations, and water quality nexus in the Upper Ganga River basin
<p>The Upper Ganga River basin is socioeconomically the most important river basin in India and is highly stressed in terms of water resources due to uncontrolled land use and land cover (LULC) activities. This study presents a comprehensive set of analyses to evaluate the population growth...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2018-09-01
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| Series: | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | https://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/22/4745/2018/hess-22-4745-2018.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>The Upper Ganga River basin is socioeconomically the most important river
basin in India and is highly stressed in terms of water resources due to
uncontrolled land use and land cover (LULC) activities. This study presents a
comprehensive set of analyses to evaluate the population growth, LULC
transformations, and water quality nexus for sustainable development in this
river basin. The study was conducted at two spatial scales: basin scale and
district scale. First, population data were analyzed statistically to study
demographic changes, followed by LULC change detection over the period of
February–March 2001 to 2012 (Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper
Plus (ETM+) data) using remote sensing and geographical information
system (GIS) techniques. Trends and spatiotemporal variations in monthly
water quality parameters, viz. biological oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved
oxygen (DO, measured in percentage), fluoride (F), hardness (CaCO<sub>3</sub>), pH,
total coliform bacteria and turbidity, were studied using the Mann–Kendall
rank test and an overall index of pollution (OIP) developed specifically for
this region, respectively. A relationship was deciphered between LULC classes
and OIP using multivariate techniques, viz. Pearson's correlation and
multiple linear regression. From the results, it was observed that population
has increased in the river basin. Therefore, significant and characteristic
LULC changes were observed. The river became polluted in both rural and urban
areas. In rural areas, pollution is due to agricultural practices, mainly
fertilizers, whereas in urban areas it is mainly contributed from domestic
and industrial wastes. Water quality degradation has occurred in the river
basin, and consequently the health status of the river has also changed from
acceptable to slightly polluted in urban areas. Multiple linear regression
models developed for the Upper Ganga River basin could successfully predict
status of the water quality, i.e., OIP, using LULC classes.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 1027-5606 1607-7938 |