An Integrated Eco-geospatial Approach for Assessment of Riparian Health in Upper Stretch of the Ganga, India

Riparian buffers of the Ganga have undergone significant deforestation in the last few decades. The study attempts to understand the impact of increasing anthropogenic interferences on the riparian fringes of the river Ganga. Change detection using land use land cover (LULC), followed by Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis supported by data collected from field surveys was carried out from Gomukh to Haridwar. Our results show an increase in the built-up area and barren land, accounting for 4.1% and 4.8%, respectively. An increasing tourist influx, increasing built-up area, expansion of agriculture and the after-effects of the “Himalayan Tsunami” in 2013 have been identified as primary reasons behind the destruction of the riparian forests in the upper stretch of river Ganga. Significant loss of overall vegetation cover, i.e. 17.2% in the last decade (2008–2017) was observed in the analysis. From the field-based surveys, it was observed that vegetation assemblages are changing with the shift from climatic climax vegetation to pioneer species like Alnus nepalensis and the rapid expansion of Pinus roxburghii. A shift in species assemblages further manifests in loss of biodiversity and enhanced invasion of Parthenium, Lantana and Eupatorium species. The present study attempts to provide broader indicators of river health to improve the understanding of the changes in the ecologically sensitive and fragile riparian buffer of the river Ganga. The study can be further used to assess riparian health for long-term planning of restoration of riparian buffers of river Ganga from Gomukh to Haridwar.