River, Sediment and Hydrological Extremes: Causes, Impacts and Management


Book Description

This edited book provides a platform for knowledge sharing in all areas related to the rivers, sediment and hydrological extremes. It explains the hypothesis that river flow and sediment transport are intimately linked to erosion, scour and sediment deposition. Sediment transport, erosion and deposition are driven by local base-level changes and are highly variable in space and time. These concepts have serious implication for understanding the recent development of the River, Sediment and Hydrological Extremes. The natural hazards posed by hydrologic events and river systems depend on the uncertainty of hydrological events. This ability is affected by change in climatic conditions. Climate change studies have revealed that the frequency of extreme weather phenomena with increasing damage to human assets has gradually grown worldwide. As a consequence, rainfall events concentrated in time and space are expected to lead to serious local flooding and sediment transport in many parts of the world. Floods are remarkable hydro-meteorological phenomena and forceful agents of geomorphic evolution in most physical geographical belts and, from the viewpoint of human society, among the most important environmental hazards. According to the Indian Environment Agency, floods rank as number one on the list of natural disasters in India over the past decade. This book is an attempt to fill the gap in literature and bring forth evidence based latest research about precise estimation of erosion and scour, which is essential to reduce the hazards. The book explains that lack of preparedness and appropriate adaptation strategy makes people more risk-prone. It highlights the vulnerability in South Asia region about the impacts of flood, sediments, and river hazards because a large portion of its population depends on sensitive sectors like agriculture and forestry for livelihoods and several other reasons. The book is relevant for academician, researchers and students of disaster management, hydrology and ecology.




Sustainable Development Using Geospatial Techniques


Book Description

This book is a must-have for anyone interested in leveraging geospatial technology, as it covers a wide range of applications and offers valuable insights into the mapping, visualization, and analysis of natural resource planning using GIS, remote sensing, and GPS. Geospatial technology (GT) is a combination of geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing (RS), and the global position system (GPS) for the mapping, visualization, and analysis of natural resource planning. Nowadays, GIS is widely used throughout the globe for a wide range of applications. GIS is a system that combines locations, geography, hardware, software, statistics, planning, and digital mapping. GIS is a system in which one can store, manipulate, analyze, and visualize or display spatial data. The basic components of GIS are hardware, software, data, input, and manpower. One can develop spatial, temporal, and dynamic models using GIS, which may help in effective decision-making tools. Geospatial information is a computer programme that collects, stores, verifies, and presents information on locations on the surface of the Earth. Geographical information systems play a key role in sustainable development. Geospatial technology combines traditional database operations like query and statistical analysis with the specific graphical and geographic analytical capabilities offered by maps.




Extreme Hydrology and Climate Variability


Book Description

Extreme Hydrology and Climate Variability: Monitoring, Modelling, Adaptation and Mitigation is a compilation of contributions by experts from around the world who discuss extreme hydrology topics, from monitoring, to modeling and management. With extreme climatic and hydrologic events becoming so frequent, this book is a critical source, adding knowledge to the science of extreme hydrology. Topics covered include hydrometeorology monitoring, climate variability and trends, hydrological variability and trends, landscape dynamics, droughts, flood processes, and extreme events management, adaptation and mitigation. Each of the book's chapters provide background and theoretical foundations followed by approaches used and results of the applied studies. This book will be highly used by water resource managers and extreme event researchers who are interested in understanding the processes and teleconnectivity of large-scale climate dynamics and extreme events, predictability, simulation and intervention measures. - Presents datasets used and methods followed to support the findings included, allowing readers to follow these steps in their own research - Provides variable methodological approaches, thus giving the reader multiple hydrological modeling information to use in their work - Includes a variety of case studies, thus making the context of the book relatable to everyday working situations for those studying extreme hydrology - Discusses extreme event management, including adaption and mitigation




Ecological Significance of River Ecosystems


Book Description

Ecological Significance of Riparian Ecosystems: Challenges and Management Strategies examines the current issues related to river ecosystems, their environmental importance, pollution issues and potential management strategies. The book is divided into 4 key themes: Basics of river ecosystem, Natural phenomenon of river ecosystem, Human-induced problems of river ecosystem, and Management measures for the river ecosystem. Through these four themes, the contributors present both practical and theoretical aspects of river ecosystem in changing climate. An emphasis has been made on the recent research of climate change and its impact on the river ecosystem. River ecosystems have tremendous potential to store CO2, however, with changing climatic and anthropogenic activities, these habitats are under threat, and river ecosystems are losing the very vital service of storing carbon. Unlike well documented terrestrial biodiversity, the biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems is still unrecognized to some extent. - Presents an understanding of the biogeochemical processes of river ecosystems achieved by food webs and diverse biogeochemical processes - Covers sediment dynamics and nutrient chemistry - hot topics in river ecosystems - Includes environmental pollution issues in river ecosystems from various anthropogenic activities




Modeling and Practice of Erosion and Sediment Transport under Change


Book Description

Climate and anthropogenic changes impact the conditions of erosion and sediment transport in rivers. Rainfall variability and, in many places, the increase of rainfall intensity have a direct impact on rainfall erosivity. Increasing changes in demography have led to the acceleration of land cover changes in natural areas, as well as in cultivated areas, and, sometimes, in degraded areas and desertified landscapes. These anthropogenized landscapes are more sensitive to erosion. On the other hand, the increase in the number of dams in watersheds traps a great portion of sediment fluxes, which do not reach the sea in the same amount, nor at the same quality, with consequences on coastal geomorphodynamics. This book is dedicated to studies on sediment fluxes from continental areas to coastal areas, as well as observation, modeling, and impact analysis at different scales from watershed slopes to the outputs of large river basins. This book is concentrated on a number of keywords: “erosion” and “sediment transport”, “model” and “practice”, and “change”. The keywords are briefly discussed with respect to the relevant literature. The contributions in this book address observations and models based on laboratory and field data, allowing researchers to make use of such resources in practice under changing conditions.




Afrotropical Streams and Rivers


Book Description

The Afrotropical Streams and Rivers: Structure, Ecological Processes and Management is a comprehensive guide that provides assessment of major rivers and tributaries in Africa. Unlike other books available, the editors present a thorough study of geomorphological, hydrological, biological, and ecological processes incorporating a range of plant and animal communities, while considering implications of human communities that depend upon them. This book, edited by a diverse cohort of researchers and/or scholars, is intended as an educational and practical guide for graduate students, researchers and scientists who focus on the biodiversity, conservation and management/policy issues of the African river systems. - Provides a comprehensive introduction to African freshwater rivers, their biota, and abiotic processes. - Contains unique case studies on African streams and rivers. - Organised around an interdisciplinary approach that covers the complex aspects of conservation and management of African river systems on the continent.




Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources


Book Description

This book provides insights and a capacity to understand the climate change phenomenon, its impact on water resources, and possible remedial measures. The impact of climate change on water resources is a global issue and cause for concern. Water resources in many countries are extremely stressed, and climate change along with burgeoning populations, the rise in living standards, and increasing demand on resources are factors which serve to exacerbate this stress. The chapters provide information on tools that will be useful to mitigate the adverse consequences of natural disasters. Fundamental to addressing these issues is hydrological modelling which is discussed in this book and ways to combat climate change as an important aspect of water resource management.