Impact of reduction in upstream fresh water and sediment discharge in Indus deltaic region
Paper Details
Impact of reduction in upstream fresh water and sediment discharge in Indus deltaic region
Abstract
The Indus river basin stretches from the Himalayan Mountains in the north to the dry alluvial plains of Sindh in the south. The area of Indus basin is 944, 574 sq. km.The development of infrastructure in the basin affected the sediment and water discharge downstream of Kotri Barrage. Prior to the construction of major dams and barrages on the Indus River the recorded average of sediment and water discharge downstream Kotri Barrage was 193 million ton/year and 107 billion m3/year respectively. Reduction in sediment and water discharge is causing coastal erosion in the Indus deltaic and coastal areas and resulting in significantly high levels of sea water turbidity rendering the water quality of coastal waters unsuitable for a number of marine organisms. The turbidities of the seawater influence the bottom limit of light penetration in the sea thus controlling the primary productivity in the coastal and creek waters. The anthropogenic impact of upstream water and sediment blockage has resulted in the shrinkage of active delta and stunted growth of mangrove forest. The beleaguered delta has been forced to face severe problem of coastal erosion due to unplanned coastal development in the area.
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Mohsin Muzaffar, Asif Inam, Mahmood Hashmi, Khalid Mehmood, Ibrahim Zia (2017), Impact of reduction in upstream fresh water and sediment discharge in Indus deltaic region; JBES, V10, N4, April, P208-216
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