Land use and land cover dynamics in the Upper Ganga Riverine Wetland: unraveling ecosystem services over two decades

The rapid urbanization, industrial growth, and socio-cultural activities along riverbanks in hilly cities are transforming land use and intensifying water infrastructure challenges. Paonta Sahib, a culturally significant town in Himachal Pradesh on the Yamuna River, along the foothills of the Himalayas exemplifies these pressures due to its religious tourism, industrialization, and mining activities. This study explores sustainable riverfront development at Paonta Sahib, addressing socio-cultural, environmental, and technical concerns essential for eco-sensitive urban planning. A SWOT analysis highlights strengths such as Paonta Sahib's strong cultural identity and economic potential, alongside weaknesses like limited water infrastructure and unregulated land use. Opportunities for eco-sensitive zoning and circular economy practices are proposed as strategies to mitigate environmental impacts, with financial projections indicating a 68 million INR annual cost recovery over a 35-year development period. Additionally, pollutant scenario analysis is recommended to support effective water quality management. Findings emphasize the importance of collaborative efforts between local authorities, technical experts, and communities to address the extreme hydrological, environmental, and planning challenges faced by riverbank cities. This balanced approach seeks to enhance Paonta Sahib’s urban identity while preserving ecological integrity, offering a model for sustainable development in similar hilly settlements. The proposed framework aims to guide future policies for resilient riverfront urbanization, emphasizing adaptive planning, community engagement, and infrastructure that support both economic growth and environmental sustainability.

show abstract

WITHDRAWN: Assessment of Wetland Ecological Restoration Effect Based on Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process: A Case Study of Tianjin Qilihai Wetland

Zhou,

Zhang,

Peng

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Scientific evaluation of the effectiveness of ecological restoration could provide support for sustainable management and protection of wetlands. However due to the multiple and difficult to quantify factors affecting wetlands, commonly used spatiotemporal evaluation methods were difficult to scientifically reflect the actual effectiveness of ecological restoration. This paper took Tianjin Qilihai Wetland, a representative wetland in northern China, as the research object. Two representative time points, 2017 (before the start of the two-years restoration project) and 2023 (four years after the completion of the restoration project), were selected to construct a three-level monitoring and evaluation index system containing 8 specific indicators from three aspects — water environment, biological community, and landscape topography. And then a model based on fuzzy analytic hierarchy process was developed to systematically evaluate the ecological restoration effect. The evaluation results showed that after implementing a series of measures, the comprehensive evaluation index of wetland ecological environment increased by 37.68%. In addition, it was also found that compared to the water environment, the restoration of the ecosystem had a certain lag. It was recommended to further strengthen the follow-up and continuous monitoring and evaluation, as well as the monitoring and control of the stability of external water source quality. The method and model adopted in this paper further improved the theoretical and methodological system for evaluating the effectiveness of wetland ecological restoration.

show abstract

Land use and land cover dynamics in the Upper Ganga Riverine Wetland: unraveling ecosystem services over two decades

Cited by 4 publications

References 87 publications

Characterizing Shifts in Major Land Use Types and the Response of Water Yield in a Catchment with Widespread Peaty Wetlands

Characterizing Shifts in Major Land Use Types and the Response of Water Yield in a Catchment with Widespread Peaty Wetlands

Complexities of Riverfront Development for the Hilly City of Paonta Sahib in India

WITHDRAWN: Assessment of Wetland Ecological Restoration Effect Based on Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process: A Case Study of Tianjin Qilihai Wetland

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About