Riverbank Erosion & Consequent Land Settlement Issues: A Case of River Chenab, District Hafizabad

Abstract

When calamity strikes, it causes damage but it also provides opportunities for newer learnings opportunities and better preparedness to combat menace. Pakistan is agrarian economy and comprises fertile plains. According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, agriculture contributes to 24 percent of national Gross Domestic Product. Agriculture is dependent on water needs, met through water channels fed by rivers originating mostly from glacial sources existing in northern part of the country. The country hosts five major rivers, namely Indus Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej. The dendritic river patterns follow gravity flow causing frequent morphological changes and riverbank erosion is the most significant phenomenon which acts as hazard for farming communities in terms of loss of shelter, livelihood, and landholdings. An in-time identification of the issue is the real concern nowadays. Presently, different tools are available for instant interpretation of riverbank erosion like Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS), which are not only good for instant identification but also helpful for precise estimation of historical losses. Landsat images for years 2009, 2013, and 2017 have used to make an initial assessment of erosion hotspots. High-resolution satellite imagery from Google Earth is also used for meticulous analysis. The analysis shows that beyond other factors, average riverbank displacement rate due to erosion directly depends on rise in water levels. The study provides systematic bases to estimate the losses precisely. The study is useful for damages assessment of land and livelihood to device relief packages for the affected communities. The study also builds the capacity in resolving land settlement issues consequent to the riverbank erosion phenomenon.