Tracking Temporal Migration of the Indus River: Morphological Changes in a Downstream Reach

Ali Raza; Javeria Batool; Ahmed Mujtaba Arain; Arjumand Zaidi; Tauqeer Ali

Authors

Ali Raza U.S. Pakistan-Center for Advanced Studies in Water – Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, 76062, Jamshoro, Pakistan
Javeria Batool U.S. Pakistan-Center for Advanced Studies in Water – Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, 76062, Jamshoro, Pakistan
Ahmed Mujtaba Arain U.S. Pakistan-Center for Advanced Studies in Water – Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, 76062, Jamshoro, Pakistan
Arjumand Zaidi U.S. Pakistan-Center for Advanced Studies in Water – Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, 76062, Jamshoro, Pakistan
Tauqeer Ali U.S. Pakistan-Center for Advanced Studies in Water – Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, 76062, Jamshoro, Pakistan

Keywords:

River Migration, Erosion, Accretion, Sinuosity Indices, Migration Rates, Geospatial Data and Tools

Abstract

Indus River morphological changes create environmental challenges, impacting local communities and ecosystems through fertile land loss, bank erosion, and higher flood risks. Monitoring these changes is crucial for flood and water resource management and infrastructure protection. This study uses geospatial data and tools to analyze spatial and temporal morphological dynamics of a downstream Indus River reach between the Sukkur and Kotri barrages from 1995 to 2024. Satellite imagery was analyzed to study morphological changes. Significant channel adjustments in river shape and form were observed, evident through erosion, deposition, and lateral shifts over the past three decades. The maximum erosion, covering 35,540 ha, and accretion, covering 23,737 ha, were observed between 1995 and 2005, with later periods showing reduced erosion and greater stability. The total cumulative erosion was 71,575 ha, and the total cumulative accretion was 64,790 ha, which gives a net loss of 6,785 ha. The sinuosity analysis showed that the meandering tendency of the river increased over the years as the sinuosity ratio increased from 1.82 in 1995 to 1.93 in 2024. These findings reveal the features of fluvial dynamics of the Indus River and stress the importance of reducing the adverse effects of these changes as necessary for the area's sustainable development.

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