Geoinformatics-Based Mapping of Environmental Sensitive Areas for Desertification over Satara and Sangli Districts of Maharashtra, India

Dwivedi, Chandra S., Dishant, Parida, Bikash R., Pandey, Aravind C., Kumar, Ravi and Kumar, Navneet, (2024). Geoinformatics-Based Mapping of Environmental Sensitive Areas for Desertification over Satara and Sangli Districts of Maharashtra, India. Geohazards, 5(2), 415-440

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  • Sub-type Journal article
    Author Dwivedi, Chandra S.
    Dishant
    Parida, Bikash R.
    Pandey, Aravind C.
    Kumar, Ravi
    Kumar, Navneet
    Title Geoinformatics-Based Mapping of Environmental Sensitive Areas for Desertification over Satara and Sangli Districts of Maharashtra, India
    Appearing in Geohazards
    Volume 5
    Issue No. 2
    Publication Date 2024-05-17
    Place of Publication Basel
    Publisher MDPI
    Start page 415
    End page 440
    Language eng
    Abstract Desertification processes in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid conditions have been enhanced in recent decades. The geospatial database and associated satellite data can be effectively employed for regional planning to address desertification and land degradation. In this study, the Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use (MEDALUS) model has been used to map environmentally sensitive areas due to desertification in the Satara and Sangli districts of Maharashtra, India. This was achieved by combining Landsat-8 multispectral data, Census data, soil data, and climatic variables like temperature, rainfall, and evapotranspiration. The algorithm of MEDALUS is the geometric mean of four indicators, namely soil quality index (SQI), climate quality index (CQI), vegetation quality index (VQI), and socio-economic quality index (SEQI). The findings indicated that the majority of the study area comes under the potential category of desertification (60.32%) followed by fragile (27.87%) and critical (11.81%). Areas with a high propensity for desertification were found over the low to very low climatic quality and moderate to high soil quality including lower socio-economic quality. The lower socio-economic quality is mainly due to high to very high population density (>100 people/km2), low to moderate illiteracy rate (<16%), and low to moderate work participation rate (<50%) that incentivize unsustainable land use practices. The study provides a valuable tool for understanding and managing natural resources. It offers a detailed analysis of the environmental sensitivity of the study area, taking into account various factors like land use, vegetation cover, slope, and soil erosion potential. The developed comprehensive map of the area helps in identifying the most sensitive regions and developing appropriate conservation strategies. The information obtained from the study can be utilized to develop and implement successful measures to prevent or alleviate desertification, which is crucial for sustaining the health of ecosystems and the welfare of local residents.
    UNBIS Thesaurus GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
    REMOTE SENSING
    Keyword DEM
    Desertification indicator
    MEDALUS
    Sensitivity
    Weighted overlay
    Copyright Holder The Authors
    Copyright Year 2024
    Copyright type Creative commons
    DOI 10.3390/geohazards5020022
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    Created: Tue, 05 Nov 2024, 00:34:11 JST by Aarti Basnyat on behalf of UNU EHS