Land use changes caused by bank erosion along the lower part of the Bosna river from 2001 to 2013

Abstract

The river channel dynamics are result of the complex interaction between natural and human impact. In the presented study, we assessed spatial and temporal dynamics of Bosna river channel migration during 2001-2013 period using orthophoto images and GIS. We have identified that the total area of bank erosion during given period equaled 2.8695 km2, of which 1.2178 km2 were on the left bank and 1.6516 km2 on the right bank. The total area of bank accretion from 2001 to 2013 equaled 2.6841 km2, of which 1.2864 km2 was on the left bank and 1.3977 km2 on the right bank. The Bosna riverbed average movement in the period 2001-2013 was established in the amount of 60.7 m. During this period, the average lateral channel migration was 5.05 m per year. Lateral migration of the Bosna River has caused serious problems: disappearance of arable land, forests, pastures and meadows, economic loss due to the reduction of agricultural. Using statistical analysis of a land use structure changes along the lower part of Bosna River, we obtained the results which show significant lost in arable land. According to results, 42.3 ha of arable land, 171.9 ha forests and 31.8 ha pastures and meadows were lost during 2001-2013 period. The data presented here are significant for practical issues such as predicting channel migration rates for engineering and planning purposes, soil and water management.