Assessment of watershed degradation and its socioeconomic impacts using remote sensing and GIS : a case study of Trijuga watershed, Nepal | |
| Author | Sah, Bhuwneshwar Prasad |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.SR-96-20 |
| Subject(s) | Geographic information systems Remote sensing--Nepal--Trijuga watershed |
| Note | A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. SR-96-20 |
| Abstract | Assessment of resources degradation and socioeconomic conditions in a watershed area, are essential factors for proper understanding and planning, and there by for the appropriate watershed conservation and development activities. This research is an attempt to develop and test a methodology for assessing the watershed resources degradation over time and seeking its socioeconomic impacts for a typical watershed in the middle of Churia and Mahabharat range of Nepal. Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) in conjunction with Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been utilized for resources monitoring, while household and soil sampling survey have been conducted for socioeconomic status assessment. The result showed that the rate of conversion of forest to other land use; mostly degraded forest, has been exceeded the permissible limit. Although, the soil erosion rate is still below the tolerance limit, 44 percent increase within the 13 years ( 1978 to 1991) of time period is the indication of rapid degradation of watershed area. The analysis of sensitivity and socioeconomic status have been found strongly correlated with resource degradation in this study. Highly sensitive areas suffered from speedy resource degradation, which resulted from poor socioeconomic status. Again, poor socioeconomic conditions resulted into speedy resource degradation which may be irrespective of sensitivity. A multiple linear regression model has been developed from these pai'ameters which can be used to simulate the resource degradation speed under the various socioeconomic conditions. The study concluded that development activities should be concentrated in valley while conservation activities should be focused to the hills, by considering and formulating the locational land use plan for different catchments of watershed. The slope inclination and the slope length are critical factors for the USLE model applicability, other than the locations for where it was developed originally. As the 70 percent of the study area has ten percent slope, the applicability of USLE model can be justified with ample accuracy, however; calculated erosion rate in the area with higher slope tend to be overestimated. |
| Year | 1996 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. SR-96-20 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Space Technology Application and Research (SR) |
| Chairperson(s) | Murai, Shunji; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Honda, Kiyoshi;Weber, Karl E.;Andrianasolo, Haja; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Thai. Queen's Scholarship; |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1996 |