Modelling of the Himalayan Mountain river basin through hydro-morphological and compound factor-based approaches using geoinformatics tools

• Published in: Modeling earth systems and environment 2023-09, Vol.9 (3), p.3053-3084
• Main Authors: Ganie, Parvaiz Ahmad, Posti, Ravindra, Kunal, Kishor, Kunal, Garima, Bharti, Vidya Shree, Sehgal, Vinay Kumar, Sarma, Debajit, Pandey, Pramod Kumar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemistry and Earth Sciences; Computer Science; Drainage; Drainage basins; Drainage density; Drainage patterns; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Earth System Sciences; Ecosystems; Environment; Geographical information systems; Geology; Hydrology; Math. Appl. in Environmental Science; Mathematical Applications in the Physical Sciences; Morphology; Original Article; Parameters; Physics; Radar; Remote sensing; River basins; Rivers; Shape; Shape factor; Soil conservation; Soil erosion; Soil water; Statistics for Engineering; Stream order; Tectonics; Water conservation; Watersheds
• ISSN: 2363-6203; 2363-6211
• DOI: 10.1007/s40808-023-01691-9

The objective of the study was to elucidate the hydro-morphological parameters and watershed priority of the Ladhiya basin by applying Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM-30 m) data and topographic sheets of Survey of India with remote sensing and GIS tools. Twenty-five watersheds were delineated for hydrological parameter studies in linear, areal, and relief directions. The overall drainage basin size was calculated to be 754.23 km 2 with a dendritic to sub-dendritic drainage pattern, which was impacted by the terrain, underlying geology, and precipitation. The study area was identified as a 5th-order basin with 347 stream segments with a total length of 548.654 km. The physiography and geology of a region have a significant effect on the stream order. The bifurcation ratio ranged between 1.83 and 14 km/km 2 , indicating moderate to substantial infiltration and structural complexity within the basin. Drainage density ranged from 0.20 to 0.95 km/km 2 , indicating that the drainage texture of the basin was coarser. The shape index, shape factor, and compactness coefficient indicate that the basin has moderate tectonic activity and moderate basin lag durations, and that it will require more time for peak flow to occur. As a result of its moderate to steep slopes, the soil erosion is low to moderate. The computed parameters were used to determine the watersheds' priority rankings by allocating weights to them using the compound factor (CF) approach in accordance with their erosion potential. The Ladhiya basin has been assigned five priority categories: highest priority, very high priority, high priority, moderate priority, and low priority. WS16, WS5, WS24, WS12, WS25, and WS17 were the most vulnerable watersheds, necessitating stricter soil and water conservation measures. Utilising GIS and remote sensing, we were able to fully comprehend the basin's hydro-morphological features. The findings of the study can also be applied to the development of long-term basin management plans.