Assessment of planform dynamics and anthropogenic stresses in the Balari Island, Hooghly estuary, India

Quantification of spatio-temporal shoreline dynamics and detection of human induced landscape alterations of Balari Island of Hooghly estuary were conducted in this study. Digital Shoreline Analysis System had been applied to quantify the shoreline dynamics from 2002 to 2017 and End Point Rate model was developed based on this analysis to simulate the probable shoreline of 2030. Landscape transformations had also been assessed by open source geospatial data of 2012 and 2017. Results highlighted that the south-western part of the island was in a depositional phase. Conversely, erosional actions were detected along the northern and north-eastern parts. Predicted shoreline of 2030 revealed that the south-western shoreline would experience massive progression. However, human encroachment in the form of intensive farming had caused considerable deterioration in this already environmentally fragile landscape and thereby calls for immediate mitigation measures.