Abstract

The Sundarban Biosphere Reserve (SBR) in India is vulnerable to soil salinity issues arising out of the occurrence of regular floods and storm surges. While much research has investigated various geo-hazards in this Reserve, the soil salinity aspect has remained underemphasized. This study assesses the degree of soil salinity and its spatial distribution in the SBR, using remote sensing and field measured datasets. Eight soil salinity indices extracted from satellite images were statistically correlated with measured electrical conductivity values using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Through this, the Salinity Index (SI–3) and the Normalized Difference Soil Index (NDSI) were determined as the most suitable indices to map the SBR’s soil salinity. The spatial analysis of these indices revealed that the administrative Blocks of Patharpratima, Basanti, Kultali, Sagar, Sandeshkhali-I, Gosaba, and Haroa experienced extremely high level of soil salinity and salt intrusion. The high drainage density and close proximity of these blocks to rivers fosters such high soil salinity. The study calls for efficacious policy measures to lessen the effects of soil salinity on the subsistence prospects of the coastal communities. The methodology adopted in this study can be utilized for similar analysis in other saline-affected areas at various spatial scales.

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