Evaluation of Morphometric and Hypsometric Analysis of the Bagh River Basin using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System Techniques

Abstract

Water availability and scarcity are impacted by geomorphological changes that occur within a catchment. As a result, determining the influence of geomorphological processes on the catchment's hydrology requires a quantitative study of the catchment geometry. Approaches based on remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS) have grown in popularity in recent years because they assist strategists and decision-makers in making accurate and effective choices and plans. For this research, the Bagh River basin was chosen. The study shows that GIS and RS data can be used to analyse and approximate the period and erosional operations' speed in a Bagh river basin for better design and maintenance. The method utilises a 30-metre shuttle radar topography mission digital elevation model (SRTM-DEM) for morphometric parameters and hypsometric analysis extraction that is both operative and time-saving. The thirteen morphometric parameters were applied to the Bagh catchment's linear, shape, and relief aspects. An elongated basin shape is suggested by the Re, Rc, and Ff. Statistical analysis shows that there is a good relationship between stream order and stream length, as well as stream order and stream number. The hypsometric curves' structure as well as estimated hypsometric integral results reflects the Bagh river basin's erosional stages. As a result, the study concludes that morphometric and hypsometric analysis findings may be useful to stakeholders participating in catchment development and management projects.