A geospatial approach in modelling the morphometric characteristics and course of Brahmaputra river using sinuosity index

Shifting of a river channel occurs continuously in the deltas and is a major predicament as it influences the land use and land cover of a region. Hence it is significant to understand the river course variation pattern for management plans as well as to carry out mitigation measures in the region. The current study attempts to understand the river shifting pattern dynamics in the Brahmaputra River with the help of satellite images and geospatial processing. The study has been carried out for three decades using satellite images from 1990 to 2021. To measure the meandering of river, sinuosity has been determined. Erosion and deposition were quantified using ArcGIS. The study interprets the influence of continuous erosion and deposition activities with that of the bank-line migration in the Brahmaputra River for three decades. The river shifted towards the south from 1990 to 2021 with an average sinuosity index of 4.43. Erosion is highest in 2011 along with the lowest deposition, around two times lower than in 2000 and 2021. The study suggests a dynamic change of course for the Brahmaputra river, impacting the land cover and vegetation with a potentiality of natural disasters.