EVERGREEN

Joint Journal of Novel Carbon Resource Sciences and Green Asia Strategy

ISSN:2189-0420 (Print until Mar 2020)
ISSN:2432-5953 (Online)

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Hydrological Dynamics and Ecological Consequences of Sambhar Lake through Multi-Satellite Approach to Wetland Monitoring

Saurabh Singh1, Niharika Panwar1, Deepak Kumar Prajapat1, Ankush Jain1, Ajay Singh Thakur1, Ram Avtar2,3,*
1Department of Civil Engineering, Poornima University, India
2Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Japan
3Department of Civil Engineering, Chennai Institute of Technology, India
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
E-mail: ram@ees.hokudai.ac.jp (RA)
Evergreen, Vol. 12, Iss. 04, pp. 1888–1900, 2025
DOI: 10.5109/7402623
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
Received: March 09, 2025 | Revised: June 19, 2025 | Accepted: August 15, 2025 | Published: December 2025
Abstract
Abstract: The largest inland saline lake in India, the Sambhar Lake is significant ecologically as well as economically, and has been encountering marked hydrological shifts primarily from climatic change and anthropogenic activities. This study aims to quantify these hydrological changes and assess their ecological consequences to inform effective management strategies for Sambhar Lake. Utilizing high-resolution Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and Google Earth Engine (GEE), we analyzed transitions in water coverage and quality from 1984 to 2021. We employed spectral indices such as Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Turbidity, and Chlorophyll-a to evaluate fluctuations in water quality. Analysis showed an increase in permanent bodies of water while areas of variable seasonal water reflect a dynamic hydrological state determined by environmental and anthropogenic induced disturbances. The study uncovered temporal spikes in turbidity and TSS content, placing special emphasis on the monsoon seasons, alluding to sediment inflows and eutrophication threats. Chlorophyll-a concentrations exhibited seasonal surges indicative of algal blooms. This integrated, multi-decadal assessment provides new scientific evidence to guide policymakers and conservationists in developing targeted, sustainable management actions for Sambhar Lake and other vulnerable saline wetlands.
Keywords
Anthropogenic Effects; Anthropogenic Effects; Bird Habitat; Climatic Variability; Climatic Variability; Ecological Impact; Hydrological Dynamics; Hydrological Dynamics; Inland Saline Lake; Ramsar Site; Water Quality; Wetland Conservation. Keywords: Remote Sensing; Wetland Monitoring
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