Water Quality and Sediment Behaviour of the Future: Predictions for the 21st Century (Proceedings of Symposium HS2005 at IUGG2007, Perugia, July 2007).  IAHS Publ. 314, 2007, 312-320.

 

Implications of changes in river sediments during the 21st century for freshwater ecosystems in northeast India

 

U. C. SHARMA1 & VIKAS SHARMA2

1 Center for Natural Resources Management, PO Tarore, District Jammu-181133, J & K, India

   ucsharma2@rediffmail.com

2 S. K. University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology, Chatha, Jammu-180009, J & K, India

 

Abstract Sediment delivery to the river and stream network in the north­eastern region of India is expected to increase from 601 million tonnes in 2001, to about 981 and 1167 million tonnes by the years 2050 and 2100, respectively. This will substantially increase the river sediments, thereby increasing flood incidence and magnitude and affecting freshwater resources and environ­mental quality. The Doolittle method was used to develop a model based on a partial regression equation: runoff (% of rainfall) = 9.293 + 0.147 ´ slope (%) + 0.048 ´ rainfall (cm) – 1.469 ´ vegetation + 0.054 ´ soil moisture (%) – 0.125 ´ soil clay (%), for runoff generation. In pursuit of increasing agricultural production, a rapid increase in the use of agricultural chemicals will further degrade the freshwater resources, affect the health of humans and aquatic ecosystems, and alter the carbon cycle and biological and life support ecosystem in the region.

 

Key words implications; river sediments; freshwater resources; northeastern region of India; 21st century