Coastal Morphology - A Systematic Study : Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

The coastal zone is very critical and important because of the high productivity of its ecosystem, dense population, exploitation of marine resources, discharge of effluents and municipal sewage, development of industries and a spurt in the recreational activities. The rapid development of coastal regions is facing human force which results in the degradation of land cover and morphological features. The systematic study of coastal morphology has been carried out in Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation which is one of the prime urban corridor and major sprawling industrial city located on East Coast of India using remote sensing and GIS techniques. The emergence of high resolution multispectral data enhances the operational use of satellite images for coastal morphological studies. Knowledge of landuse/landcover, alteration of shoreline, quality of water is an important for coastal planning. Integration of RS-GIS techniques facilitated in working out the mushrooming growth of urban extensions on coast. This work would help the decision makers to formulate their policies and programmes for alternate planning and management. Target group: Students, Scientists and Researchers.