Hydrogeomorphic advancements in river science for water security in India

Q1 Earth and Planetary Sciences
Vikrant Jain , Nikita Karnatak , Anukritika Raj , Shashank Shekhar , Prashanta Bajracharya , Shaleen Jain
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引用次数: 4

Abstract

Effective management of rivers and the maintenance of the integrity of linked biophysical systems require multidisciplinary approaches. Thus, River Science is a relatively new arena of scientific inquiry that focuses on problems of sustainable management of river systems and it actively integrates multiple scales and various concepts. This paper presents a review of new developments in hydrogeomorphic processes understanding, which are critical to assess water security for Indian river systems.

Indian rivers are under the influence of a diverse interplay of climatic, geomorphic, tectonic, and anthropogenic forces, and are broadly classified in terms of Himalayan and Peninsular rivers, which can be further subdivided into 6 major types. The Himalayan rivers have received greater attention in comparison to rivers in peninsular India. Within the backdrop of changing climate, an improved understanding of the interrelationships between hydrological, morphological and ecological processes is the key to quantifying water security for Indian rivers in the near future. Geomorphic threshold, hydrological and sediment connectivity, Groundwater-Surfacewater (GW-SW) interaction and Environmental-flow (E-flow) assessment are the essential elements to understand the hydrology-morphological-ecological processes. Such studies have been initiated in Indian river systems, however, these are still limited in number. Stream power distribution based approaches are frequently employed to understand hydrological controls on morphological processes and form in regulated and unregulated rivers. As a majority of the Himalayan rivers are hydrologically and morphologically disconnected due to large dams or barrages, the result is a discontinuum of channel processes. Peninsular rivers are dominantly bedrock and highly regulated river systems, which show significant short- to long-term flow variability and have tributaries which are not perennial. Disconnectivity due to extensive flow regulation and water withdrawals impose great stress on the flow processes and sediment transport, and result in the progressive decline in channel morphology, habitat, and ecosystem flow needs. A critical research question in highly regulated river systems is regarding how the flow regime at the reach scale and the associated hydrogeomorphic variability can be systematically characterized. Identification of geomorphic thresholds at different scales and quantification of (a) hydrological and sediment connectivity in river systems, (b) surface–groundwater interaction, and (c) E-flow assessment for different reaches in each river basin are the major gaps in River Science studies specific to Indian river systems. Especially, E-flow assessment for different river basins using a holistic approach must be the leading area of River Science research to aid management and policy making with the goal of enhancing water security. Relatively less studied peninsular rivers need more quantitative process-based hydrogeomorphic studies and their application for E-flow assessment.

印度水安全的河流科学水文地貌学进展
有效管理河流和维护相互联系的生物物理系统的完整性需要多学科方法。因此,河流科学是一个相对较新的科学探索领域,它关注河流系统的可持续管理问题,并积极整合多个尺度和各种概念。本文综述了对水文地貌过程理解的最新进展,这对评估印度河流水系的水安全至关重要。印度河流受到气候、地貌、构造和人为因素等多种相互作用的影响,大致按喜马拉雅河和半岛河划分,可进一步细分为6大类型。与印度半岛的河流相比,喜马拉雅河流受到了更多的关注。在气候变化的背景下,更好地了解水文、形态和生态过程之间的相互关系是在不久的将来量化印度河流水安全的关键。地貌阈值、水文和泥沙连通性、地下水-地表水(GW-SW)相互作用和环境流(E-flow)评价是理解水文-形态-生态过程的基本要素。这样的研究已经在印度的河流系统中开始,然而,这些研究的数量仍然有限。基于河流功率分布的方法经常被用来理解在管制和不管制的河流中形态过程和形态的水文控制。由于大型水坝或拦河坝的存在,大多数喜马拉雅河流在水文和形态上是不连贯的,其结果是河道过程的不连续性。半岛河流主要是基岩和高度调节的河流系统,表现出显著的短期到长期流量变异性,并且有非多年生的支流。由于广泛的流量调节和取水导致的断连性对水流过程和泥沙运输造成了巨大的压力,并导致河道形态、栖息地和生态系统流量需求的逐渐下降。在高度调节的河流系统中,一个关键的研究问题是如何系统地表征河段尺度上的水流状态和相关的水文地貌变异性。确定不同尺度的地貌阈值,量化(a)河流系统的水文和沉积物连通性,(b)地表水-地下水相互作用,以及(c)每个流域不同河段的E-flow评估,是河流科学研究中针对印度河流系统的主要空白。特别是,利用整体方法对不同流域进行E-flow评估必须成为河流科学研究的主要领域,以帮助管理和制定政策,以加强水安全。相对较少研究的半岛河流需要更多基于定量过程的水文地貌研究及其在E-flow评价中的应用。
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来源期刊
Water Security
Water Security Earth and Planetary Sciences-Oceanography
CiteScore
8.50
自引率
0.00%
发文量
17
期刊介绍: Water Security aims to publish papers that contribute to a better understanding of the economic, social, biophysical, technological, and institutional influencers of current and future global water security. At the same time the journal intends to stimulate debate, backed by science, with strong interdisciplinary connections. The goal is to publish concise and timely reviews and synthesis articles about research covering the following elements of water security: -Shortage- Flooding- Governance- Health and Sanitation
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