Coastal regions are highly vulnerable to changes in sea-level rise. This small portion of the landmass is home to over 10% of the world’s population. Thereby, any loss of land due to a rise in sea level would impact this region extensively.

Our research investigated the implications of sea-level rise in the Krishna-Godavari delta region while factoring in the implications of (1) coastal geomorphology, (2) coastal slope, (3) shoreline change, (4) mean spring tide range and (5) significant wave heights. These factors give us the vulnerability index of the study area, which is then compared with the historical data of shoreline change obtained from satellite images dated 1977 to 2008. These trends were analysed using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS).

In addition to these factors, the region is not only affected by the depreciation of the inland supply of sediments due to an increased damming activity upstream of the major rivers that deposit into the deltaic region. We predict an overall loss of land in the region due to erosion by the year 2050, and published our findings through an SPIE Proceeding and Journal of Applied Remote Sensing articles (see below).

Relevant Publications