The Bhagirathi-Hooghly Basin in India is one of the most densely populated regions in the world and is undergoing rapid transformation of its natural landscape induced by human interventions, such as mushrooming of dams and barrages, deforestation, and urbanization. Human activities and interventions on basin landforms and the processes that shape those landforms have accelerated at an alarming rate. This book uses spatio-temporal analysis to understand the major anthropogenic signatures on land use and land cover changes and the impact these activities have on the landforms and processes of the Bhagirathi-Hooghly River and its sub-basins. It answers the what, where, why, and how of the anthropogenic signatures involved. Recent case studies on the impact of anthropogenic signatures on fluvial forms and processes make this book a useful resource for students and researchers in the earth sciences, local governments, urban planners, and all concerned with rural developments. Features: Explores for the first time the new concept of anthropogeomorphology for the river basin-an emerging field Analyses the impact of anthropogenic activities, especially the construction of dams and reservoirs, and urbanization on major fluvial landscapes using advanced geospatial modelling techniques Investigates human interference in river systems, their effects on the dynamics of the river, and the livelihoods of the people residing along the river Addresses issues related to geology, geomorphology, geography, planning, land use, and land management areas Fills the need for data-driven governance and policy decisions for the future of urban-industrial growth in India.

The Bhagirathi-Hooghly Basin in India is one of the most densely populated regions in the world and is undergoing rapid transformation of its natural landscape induced by human interventions, such as mushrooming of dams and barrages, deforestation, and urbanization. Human activities and interventions on basin landforms and the processes that shape those landforms have accelerated at an alarming rate. This book uses spatio-temporal analysis to understand the major anthropogenic signatures on land use and land cover changes and the impact these activities have on the landforms and processes of the Bhagirathi-Hooghly River and its sub-basins. It answers the what, where, why, and how of the anthropogenic signatures involved. Recent case studies on the impact of anthropogenic signatures on fluvial forms and processes make this book a useful resource for students and researchers in the earth sciences, local governments, urban planners, and all concerned with rural developments. Features: Explores for the first time the new concept of anthropogeomorphology for the river basin-an emerging field Analyses the impact of anthropogenic activities, especially the construction of dams and reservoirs, and urbanization on major fluvial landscapes using advanced geospatial modelling techniques Investigates human interference in river systems, their effects on the dynamics of the river, and the livelihoods of the people residing along the river Addresses issues related to geology, geomorphology, geography, planning, land use, and land management areas Fills the need for data-driven governance and policy decisions for the future of urban-industrial growth in India.

This book explores the latest advances in our understanding of the evolution of the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta, examining the Damodar basin, Bhagirathi-Hooghly basin and Jalangi basin from historical, quantitative and applied geomorphology perspectives. The evolution of the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta is highly complex and remains poorly understood. To address that gap, this edited volume presents 11 research papers: the first seven chapters focus on the pure geomorphology and geohydrology of the delta, while the remaining four examine its applied geomorphological aspects. The book offers a valuable guide for geologists, geographers, hydrologists, landscape ecologists, environmentalists, engineers, planners and policy makers.

This volume covers the floods of the major rivers of the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) Delta, and storm surge related coastal floods in these regions. The book is dedicated to addressing floods from an integrated physical-social perspective to provide students and researchers with a holistic understanding of floods in terms of both human and geomorphological aspects. The systematic coverage of all the major rivers and coastal areas in the GBM delta and surrounding regions will foster a clear comprehension of this dense reservoir of population, where thousands of people are impacted every year due to flood hazards and agricultural destabilization. This comprehensive treatment of flood issues in the region covers flash floods, fluvial floods, fluvio-tidal floods, and coastal floods, and outlines flood management strategies to maintain ecological integrity and environmental stability, and prevent harmful impacts of future floods. The book is intended for students and researchers in earth and environmental sciences, especially geomorphology, hydrology, geography, geology, natural resources management, and regional planning.

This book explores the latest advances in our understanding of the evolution of the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta, examining the Damodar basin, Bhagirathi-Hooghly basin and Jalangi basin from historical, quantitative and applied geomorphology perspectives. The evolution of the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta is highly complex and remains poorly understood. To address that gap, this edited volume presents 11 research papers: the first seven chapters focus on the pure geomorphology and geohydrology of the delta, while the remaining four examine its applied geomorphological aspects. The book offers a valuable guide for geologists, geographers, hydrologists, landscape ecologists, environmentalists, engineers, planners and policy makers.

This volume provides a versatile introduction to the study of drainage basin evolution, morphology, drainage basin hydrology and sedimentology, human interference, natural and anthropogenic hazards and various management techniques. This book offers the responsible factors of sediment yield and their absolute and specific growth and rate of delivery through tributaries to the main streams. Rivers are important geomorphic agents which reflect an amazing variety of form and behaviour, showing the wide range of natural environment in which they are originated. The drainage system evolution and spatial network development within the dynamic nature are being discussed and how they are adjusted in the geomorphic time scale over the millions of years. This book shows how drainage systems function and react to change and why this thoughtful is required for flourishing integrated basin management. In tropical and sub-tropical countries population pressures as well as different developmental projects are being executed on the drainage basin without proper planning. Today scientists consider drainage basin as an administrative unit during implementation of regional projects. In this context this book will carry a bench mark for scholars and young scientists.

This book addresses the various factors affecting fluvial systems, the processes governing them, system responses arising from human-nature interventions, and geospatial and geo-ecological modeling to understand system behaviour better and restore degraded ecosystems around the globe. Thanks to their hydrological and agro-ecological advantages, humans have settled along riverbanks since the dawn of civilization. Thus, the ancient "ecumene" (settlements) were located near major rivers worldwide. This legacy of river-based civilizations continues to this day in many forms. However, in the course of the 'Anthropocene' era, countless fluvial systems have been altered by human interventions in the form of large-scale dams and barrages, changes in land use and land cover, road-stream crossings, mining of sand and gravel, mushrooming of brickfield, expansion of modern agriculture, industrial growth, and urbanization. Thus, the present-day development pattern threatens fluvial systems, especially riverine morphology and ecosystems. In brief, human-induced morphological changes, water pollution, eutrophication, and related damages to aquatic organisms are the major threats to fluvial systems. Thus, maintaining the 'environmental flow' of the world's major rivers to preserve the proper functioning of riverine ecosystems and promote sustainable development is a global challenge.

Damodar River of India is popularized as 'Sorrow of Bengal' due to massive unpredictable destruction in the monsoonal floods, recorded since 1665.Taking three prime objectives of development: (1) flood control, (2) extensive irrigation and (3) power generation, Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) was established in 1948 as India's first multipurpose river valley project on the Damodar River Basin. Four large dams, Durgapur barrage and Tenughat reservoir are built to tamp the flood prone Damodar River using the water resource in an integrated method. Carrying sixty years of legacy, the existing drainage and flood control system of DVC has aggravated a number of hydrogeomorphic problems especially in the lower segment of Damodar, viz., siltation of river bed and reservoirs, uncontrolled monsoonal stream flow, declining carrying capacity of lower course, drainage congestion, low-high magnitude annual floods, decay of palaeochannels etc. Highlighting the existing problems, this research work mainly tries to analyze the pre-dam and post-dam flood hydrology and risk assessment of Damodar River Basin which can be applied in the flood management strategies of West Bengal.