Handbook of Himalayan Ecosystems and Sustainability, Volume 2

Volume 2: Handbook of Spatio-Temporal Monitoring of Water Resources and Climate is aimed to describe the current state of knowledge and developments of geospatial technologies (Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems) for assessing and managing water resources under climate change. It is a collective achievement of renowned researchers and academicians working in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) mountain range. The HKH region is a part of the Third Pole outside the polar regions due to its largest permanent snow cover. Importantly, the Himalayan belt is geologically fragile and vulnerable to geohazards (e.g. landslides, land subsidence, rockfalls, debris flow, avalanches, and earthquakes). Therefore, critical assessment and geospatial solutions are indispensable to safeguard the natural resources and human beings in the Himalayas using space-borne satellite datasets. This book also showcases various remote sensing techniques and algorithms in the field of urban sprawling, urban microclimate and air pollution. The potential impacts of climate change on the cryosphere and water resources are also highlighted. This comprehensive Handbook is highly interdisciplinary and explains the role of geospatial technologies in studying the water resources of the Himalayas considering climate change.

- Introduction to Himalaya

Section 1: Geospatial Approaches for Monitoring Cryosphere and Hydro- Climatic Disasters
- Monitoring Spatio-Temporal Glacier Dynamics and Snow Cover Variability Focused on Runoff Variability Among Major Glaciers in Zanskar Valley, Ladakh, India
- Glacier Velocity Estimation Over Select Large Glaciers in Himalaya
- Monitoring Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Glacial Lakes in Sikkim Himalayas Using Satellite Data and Nonparametric Statistical Testing Techniques
- Monitoring Flooding Inundation Using SAR Data: A Case Study on Brahamputra River Basin
- Modelling Floodwater Depth Using GIS-Based Spatial Statistical Technique: A Case Study on Gandak River Basin
- Identification of Flood Hotspot Zone Using GIS-Based Spatial Statistical Technique: A Case Study on Kosi River Basin

Section 2: Geospatial Approaches for Monitoring Water Resources and Climate Change
- Climate Change Impact on Hydrological Extremes of Himalayan River Basin in Hindu-Kush Himalayan Region
- Climate Change Projections Using CMIP6 Gcms in Himalayan River Basin: A Case Study in Koshi River Basin, Nepal
- Impact of Structural Barriers on the Morphology and Ecology of the Himalayan Rivers
- Modeling the Potential Impact of Land Use and Land Cover Change on the Hydrology of Himalayan River Basin: A Case Study of Manipur River, India
- The Application of Remote Sensing for Water Resources Management in Data-Scarce Watersheds in the Hindukush-Himalaya Region: A Case of Kabul River Basin
- Management Issues of Wetlands in Himalayan Foothills: A Case Study of Baigul Wetland

Section 3: Geospatial Approaches for Monitoring Urban Ecosystem
- Urban Sprawl and Future Growth Projection Vis A Vis Groundwater Resource Availability in Hill Township of Shillong, India
- Effect of Lockdown on Aerosol Optical Depth and NO₂ Over Major Cities of Indian Himalayan Region
- Study on Spatial Distribution, Temporal Variation and Growth Trends of Particulate Matter, Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxides and Ammonia from Anthropogenic Sources Over India
- Spatial Distribution of Particulate Organic Carbon Over India and Prediction of its Deposition in the Himalayas Through GIS-WRF-Camx Modeling System