Vulnerability of Gujarat Coast due to Sea Level Rise An Investigation Based on Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

Abstract

The research work has utilized Remote Sensing and GIS techniques for assessing newlinevulnerability of the Gujarat coast due to predicted sea level rise. Multi-sensor satellite data newlinehas been interpreted using on-screen visual interpretation techniques to generate coastal newlinethematic information followed by ground truth data collection and validation. Geospatial newlinemodels for carrying out regional coastal vulnerability assessment of the entire Gujarat coast newlineon 1:50, 000 scale and for selected five coastal sectors representing diverse coastal newlinecharacteristics were taken up for Integrated Coastal Vulnerability assessment on 1:25, 000 newlinescale. A new approach of integrating physical and socioeconomic variable has been developed newlineand demonstrated in GIS environment. newlineCoastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) has been computed for entire Gujarat coast based on newlineintegration of five physical variables viz., coastal geomorphology, coastal slope, rate of newlineshoreline change, mean spring tide range and significant wave height in GIS environment. newlineThe CVI analysis resulted into total 1248 segments of the Gujarat coast with CVI values newlineranging from 31 to 74 indicating vulnerability of the coast to predicted sea level rise (lower newlinevalue represents lower vulnerability and higher value represents higher vulnerability). The newlineCVI values were utilized to categorize the entire Gujarat coast into four risk level classes. newlineThe results show that 785 km (45.67 %) of the Gujarat coast is under high to very high risk newlinecategory and 934 km (54.33 %) of the Gujarat coast is under Moderate to Low risk category newlinedue to the threat of predicted sea level rise. newlineThe area under very high risk category are along north-western parts of the Gulf of Khambhat newlinefor the sector between Bhavnagar-Dholera-Khambhat, the northernmost parts of the Gulf of newlineKachchh for the sector between Navlakhi-Maliya-Gandhidham and western parts of the newlineKachchh coast for the sector between Jakhau-Ramwada. The area under high risk category are newlinealong the coastal region of Central parts of the Gulf of Kachch