Climate Variability and Human Interference

This book presents a focused analysis of how climate variability and human interference reshape runoff behavior in the monsoon-influenced South Koel River Basin of Eastern India. Employing geospatial techniques, SWAT-based hydrological simulation, and statistical analyses, it provides an empirical understanding of how rainfall and land use and land cover dynamics influence hydrologic processes and runoff alteration in the basin.

The study analyzes temporal variations in rainfall and runoff using methods such as the Buishand U and Range tests, Standard Normal Homogeneity, Pettitt, Mann-Kendall, Modified Mann-Kendall, and Sequential Mann-Kendall tests. It distinguishes the impacts of climate variability and land use/land cover (LULC) change through simulation-based attribution. Additionally, it evaluates the sensitivity of LULC components - forest, agriculture, and built-up areas - on runoff using one-way ANCOVA, while assessing upstreamdownstream hydrologic connectivity and its implications for the BrahmaniBaitarani deltaic system through changes in flow, sediment, and nutrient fluxes.

Concluding with key scientific insights and management recommendations, the volume highlights basin-specific vulnerabilities and offers a decision-support framework for sustainable water governance. It serves as a valuable reference for geographers, hydrologists, environmental scientists, policy planners, and postgraduate researchers engaged in studies of climate, land use and land cover, and runoff interactions.

Translates cutting-edge research into actionable insights for policy and planning Applies robust change detection methods to evaluate hydro-meteorological variability Presents a field-tested hydrological model for a South Asian monsoon river basin

Autorentext

Professor Sujit Mandal is a Professor of Geography at Diamond Harbour Women's University, West Bengal, India. He is a former Professor at University of Gour Banga, West Bengal, India, and has been serving in colleges and Universities since 2005. He completed his B.Sc. and M.Sc. from Calcutta University. His Ph.D. thesis was entitled "An analysis of Slope instability in the Shivkhola Watershed of Darjeeling Himalaya: A scientific approach towards the management of land, water and soil". Professor Mandal is specialised in applied geomorphology, environmental hazards and geoinformatics. During his teaching career, Professor Mandal has participated and presented research papers in different National and International seminars/conferences on several aspects of geomorphic processes. He is the author of 40 research articles published from reputed national and international journals. He is the author of the book 'Semi-quantitative approaches for Landslide Susceptibility Assessment andPrediction' published by Springer. He is the principal investigator of one Minor Research Project sponsored by UGC and one Major Research Project sponsored by ICSSR. Mr. Subrata Mondal completed his B.A and M.A. from the University of Gour Banga, West Bengal, India. He is the author of several peer-reviewed research articles in reputable international journals. He is proficient in Geoinformatics and model development. Mr. Mondal completed his M.Phil. degree entitled "Slope instability analysis and delineation of potential landslide susceptibility zones of the Balason river basin in Darjeeling Himalaya, West Bengal" from the University of Gour Banga, West Bengal in 2017. He participated in several national and international seminars and conferences and presented research papers on Landslides in Darjeeling Himalaya.

Inhalt

Introduction.- Outlines the importance of studying hydrologic impacts of climate variability and human activity, setting the stage with an overview of global and regional concerns.- State-of-the art-review - presents a comprehensive global review on the general topic of the proposed book that should be closed by identification of the research gap and the scope of the current study to fill all or part of the identified research gap.- Study Area and Research Methodology Describes the geographical, climatic, and socio-economic context of the South Koel River Basin. Presents data sources, model framework (SWAT), and analytical tools used.- Step Change and Trend Analysis of Rainfall and Runoff Examines historical changes in rainfall and runoff using Mann-Kendall trend test and Pettitt's test, identifying significant shifts over time.- Quantifying Climate vs. Human Influence on Runoff Uses simulation-based methods to separate and compare the impacts of climate variability and land use changes on runoff.- Runoff Sensitivity to LULC Change Evaluates how forest degradation and agricultural expansion affect runoff using land cover sensitivity scenarios and percentage change models.- Major Findings and Implications Summarizes key findings, providing scientific insights into runoff alteration mechanisms and basin-specific vulnerabilities.- Policy Recommendations and Future Research Directions Suggests actionable strategies for integrated water resource management and identifies gaps for further research.