Sediment delivery to sustain the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta under climate change and anthropogenic impacts

Raff, Jessica L.; Goodbred, Steven L.; Pickering, Jennifer; Sincavage, R.; Ayers, John C.; Hossain, Md. Saddam; Wilson, Carol; Paola, Chris; Steckler, M. S.; Mondal, D. R.; Grimaud, Jean‐Louis; Grall, C.; Rogers, K.G.; Ahmed, Kazi Matin; Akhter, S. H.; Carlson, Brandee; Chamberlain, E. L.; Dejter, Meagan; Gilligan, Jonathan M.; Hale, R. P.; Khan, M. Shah Alam; Muktadir, Md. Golam; Rahman, Md. Munsur; Williams, Lauren

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-38057-9

Cited by 29 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 119 publications

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“…As a matter of fact, the amount of land loss and gain are achieved as resultant of the natural processes and the implemented protective measures as well. On the other hand, the land gain in the major estuarine systems is exhibiting positive outcomes, while the amount of gaining new land exceeds the land loss that implicitly indicates that GBM delta still has potential to counterbalance the relative sea level rise which has been confirmed by several recent studies (Rahman, and Haque et al, 2022;Raff and Goodbred et al, 2023). Like the major rivers, the net outcome of the land loss and gain in the estuarine systems are also resulting from natural processes and anthropogenic interventions such as cross-dams and TRM (Rahman et al, 2022), and often, the forced land reclamation in one area has several consequences somewhere else (WARPO, BUET, 2021) if it not supported naturally.…”

Section: Introduction 11 Flow-sediment Regime and Morpho-dynamic Resp...mentioning

confidence: 74%

Sediment Management using Bandal-like Structures as Nature-Based Solution

Rahman,

Shampa,

Haque

et al. 2023

Preprint

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To materialize the inherent opportunities of incoming sediment load, various interventions are being practiced for sediment management in rivers and delta systems. Broadly, the practiced methods can be divided into two categories: (i) management for accelerating siltation to enhance land reclamation and counterbalancing bank erosion (ii) management for de-siltation in the channels to maintain required navigational flow depth. The pre-requisites to achieve the above targets, simultaneously, are quite contradictory as land reclamation need more sediment, while less sediment load is necessary for the maintaining the navigational depth. To overcome the above constraints, Bandal-like Structures (BLS), the indigenous nature-based solution, has conceptualized to utilize through redistributing the local flow-sediment regime to create a sediment deficit zone within the river side and a sediment surplus zone along the bankside that can eventually, be useful for the maintenance of navigational channels and bank stabilization, simultaneously. In this article, the experiences of BLS, to achieve both functions simultaneously are discussed based on the research experiences for last 20 years. Out of many implemented BLS at different scales in the Ganges-Jamuna-Brahmaputra (GBM) system, a well-documented case study of its application is showcased along a reach of the braided Jamuna River. Based on the evaluation of the performance of the implemented case study coupled with the existing indigenous knowledge, a hybrid approach integrating the conventional and community sciences, is proposed as a nature-based solution for sustainable sediment management in the river systems of Bangladesh.

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Section: Introduction 11 Flow-sediment Regime and Morpho-dynamic Resp...mentioning

confidence: 74%

Sediment Management using Bandal-like Structures as Nature-Based Solution

Rahman,

Shampa,

Haque

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…Intense seasonal or event-scale precipitation can increase river sediment discharge [98], thereby elevating nearshore TSM. Some studies at the geological scale, based on sedimentary records [99][100][101], also suggested that stronger monsoons result in increased sediment supply from rivers to the northern Bay of Bengal. However, it is difficult to distinguish TSM interannual variation caused by monsoonal variation as the relationship among monsoon, precipitation, and river discharge are linked.…”

Section: Land-use Change and Its Effects On Tsm In Estuariesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation of Satellite-Based Suspended Sediment Concentration in the Ganges–Brahmaputra Estuary from 1990 to 2020

Yang,

Mei,

Chen

2024

Remote Sensing

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The Ganges–Brahmaputra estuary, located in the northern Bay of Bengal, is situated within the largest delta in the world. This river basin features a complex river system, a dense population, and significant variation in watershed vegetation cover. Human activities have significantly impacted the concentration of total suspended matter (TSM) in the estuary and the ecological environment of the adjacent bay. In this study, we utilised the Landsat series of satellite remote sensing data from 1990 to 2020 for TSM retrieval. We applied an atmospheric correction algorithm based on the general purpose exact Rayleigh scattering look-up-table (LUT) and the shortwave-infrared (SWIR) bands extrapolation to Landsat L1 products to obtain high-precision remote sensing reflectance. In conjunction with the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), precipitation, and discharge data, we analysed the variation and influencing mechanisms of TSM in the Ganges–Brahmaputra estuary and its surrounding areas. We revealed notable seasonal variation in TSM in the estuary, with higher concentrations during the wet season (May–October) compared to the dry season (the rest of the year). Over the period from 1990 to 2020, the NDVI in the watershed exhibited a significant upward trend. The outer estuarine regions of the Hooghly River and Meghna River displayed significant decreases in TSM, whereas the Baleswar River, which flows through mangrove areas, showed no significant trend in TSM. The declining trend in TSM was mainly attributed to land-use changes and anthropogenic activities, including the construction of embankments, dams, and mangrove conservation efforts, rather than to runoff and precipitation. Surface sediment concentration and chlorophyll in the northern Bay of Bengal exhibited slight increases, which means the limited influence of terrestrial inputs on long-term change in surface sediment concentration and chlorophyll in the northern Bay of Bengal. This study emphasises the impact of human activities on the river–estuary–coast continuum and sheds light on future sustainable management.

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“…Given the expected future demand for sediments in order to keep pace with SLR, these long-term large-scale impacts should be accounted for when planning sediment extraction. Such planning would also need to account for a delayed response resulting from on the system's previous buffer capacity [21,79,80].…”

Section: Implications For Future Sediment Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

A cross-border mud budget for future sediment management

Alonso,

Maren,

Albert

et al. 2023

Preprint

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The world’s coasts and deltas are progressively threatened by climate change and human activities. The degree at which coastlines can adapt to these changes, especially Sea Level Rise (SLR), strongly depends on the availability of sediments. But despite its importance for coastal adaptation, the availability of muddy sediments is poorly known. This study aims at developing the first mud budget for the world’s largest uninterrupted system of barrier islands and tidal flats: the Wadden Sea. The resulting mud balance is nearly closed: ~12 million (M) ton/year enters the system on its western end, ~1.5 M ton/year is added by local rivers, while we estimate ~12 M ton annually deposits or is extracted by anthropogenic activities. Our data suggests that a mud deficit already exists in the downdrift areas, which will only become more pronounced with increased SLR rates. Mud is thus a finite resource similar to sand, and should be treated as such in sediment management strategies. Resolving future challenges related to climate change therefore requires a cross-border perspective on sediment management.

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Sediment delivery to sustain the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta under climate change and anthropogenic impacts

Cited by 29 publications

References 119 publications

Sediment Management using Bandal-like Structures as Nature-Based Solution

Sediment Management using Bandal-like Structures as Nature-Based Solution

Variation of Satellite-Based Suspended Sediment Concentration in the Ganges–Brahmaputra Estuary from 1990 to 2020

A cross-border mud budget for future sediment management

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