- English
Bank erosion hazard is a frequent occurrence that poses threats to floodplain ecosystems.
This analysis examined changes to the Jia Bharali River channel in India using the GIS-based Digital
Shoreline Analysis System [DSAS]. The Jia Bharali’s future channel was predicted so as to identify
the most erosion-susceptible zones. The rate of bankline movement was calculated using remotely
sensed data collected over a period of 45 years (1976–2021). The results show that the river’s
erosion and deposition rates were higher in the early years than towards the later part of the
period under analysis. On the right and left banks of the river, the average shift rate was −9.22 and
5.8 m/y, respectively, which is comparatively high. The chosen portion of the river was evenly divided
into three zones, A, B, and C. The most positively affected zone was zone A. The left bank of
zone B exhibited a higher rate of erosion than the right bank, indicating that the river was moving
to the left [eastward] in this zone. At the same time, the right bank was being eroded faster than
the left, indicating a westward thrust at zone C. The predicted result demonstrates that the left
bank of zone B and the right bank of zone C would have a higher average migration rate. Therefore,
these banks were identified as being the most susceptible to bank erosion. The study evaluates
the spatio-temporal change of the river in sensitive regions where neighboring settlements
and infrastructure were at risk of changing channel dynamics. Using the actual and forecasted
bankline, the degree of accuracy was confirmed. The results of the automated prediction approach
could be useful for river hazard management in the Jia Bharali and in similar environmental settings
with tropical high precipitation zones.
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