571
wavelength range, the amount of suspended
solids content is directly proportional to the
refl ectance. Due to spatial and temporal resolution of satellite data information of the source of
pollution and the point of discharge, the infl ow
of sewage can be regularly monitored. Using
IRS LISS II data (Sasmal and Raju 1996 ), the
suspended load in estuarine waters of Hooghly,
West Bengal, was done in a GIS environment.
Further, Landsat TM and IRS–1A data were
used to estimate sediment load in Upper Lake,
Bhopal. This study showed high relationship
between the satellite as well as ground truth
radiometric data and total suspended solids.
Different image processing algorithms are also
used on Landsat MSS data set to delineate sediment concentration in reservoirs (Jonna et al .
1989 ). Qualitative remote sensing methods have
been used for real-time monitoring of inland
water quality (Gitelson et al . 1993 ) Airborne
sensor has also been used to study the primary
productivity and related parameters of coastal
waters and large waterbodies ( Seshamani et al.
1994 ).
26.12.5.3 Water Resource
Management
With the development of highly precise RS techniques in spatial resolution and GIS, the modeling of watershed has become more physically
based and distributed to enumerate interactive
hydrological processes considering spatial heterogeneity. A distributed model with SCS curve
number method called Land Use Change (LUC)
model was developed ( Mohan and Shrestha
2000 ) to assess the hydrological changes due to
land use modifi cation. The model developed was
applied to Bagmati River catchment in
Kathmandu Valley basin, Nepal. The study
clearly demonstrated that integration of RS, GIS
and spatially distributed model provides a powerful tool for assessment of the hydrological
changes due to land use modifi cations.
26.12.5.4 Mapping of Wetland
The Space Application Center (SAC) has mapped
the wetlands at 1:250,000 scale in the mainland
as well the islands using the visual interpretation
of coarse-resolution satellite data. The states of
Sikkim, West Bengal, Goa Punjab, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Andaman,
Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nager Haveli
were mapped at 1:50,000 scale. However, in the
rest of the country, only wetlands of 56.25 ha and
above in size could be mapped. It is known that a
vast majority of wetlands, often of high conservation signifi cance, are <50 ha in size (e.g. those in
the Indo-Gangetic plains and in the Deccan peninsula). Thus, the inventory covered only a small
number of wetlands. Moreover, the conservation
values are not known for those wetlands even
whose inventory has now been obtained. The
data merely indicates location of wetlands; the
classifi cation of wetlands on 1:250,000 scale is
only geomorphologic in nature (such as oxbow
lakes, playas, lakes and ponds) and has no other
factual biological conservation value. By itself,
the information will only be partly useful for conservation of wetlands.
26.12.6 Example Related to
Wetland Conservation:
Issues and Applications
Application of GIS and spatial analysis has been
gaining importance also in issues of wetland conservation. In particular, there have been efforts
regarding how tools of RS and GIS, combined
with an extremely well-coordinated and organised fi eld programme, could contribute to formation of a viable national level wetland conservation
and monitoring programme.
26.12.6.1 Issues and Applications
Three major issues are involved in evolving wetland conservation and monitoring programme,
namely, (a) use of spatial technology tools,
namely, primary use of RS data to obtain actual
location of wetland, inventory and classifi cation
of spatial data; (b) use of information on species
distribution of birds, plants and socio-economic
issues related to the wetlands.; and (c) integration
of the data and information from the two above.
Concomitantly, the inland wetland inventory for
the entire country could be carried out by making
26.12 Wetland Habitat Mapping Exemplifi ed
wavelength range, the amount of suspended
solids content is directly proportional to the
refl ectance. Due to spatial and temporal resolution of satellite data information of the source of
pollution and the point of discharge, the infl ow
of sewage can be regularly monitored. Using
IRS LISS II data (Sasmal and Raju 1996 ), the
suspended load in estuarine waters of Hooghly,
West Bengal, was done in a GIS environment.
Further, Landsat TM and IRS–1A data were
used to estimate sediment load in Upper Lake,
Bhopal. This study showed high relationship
between the satellite as well as ground truth
radiometric data and total suspended solids.
Different image processing algorithms are also
used on Landsat MSS data set to delineate sediment concentration in reservoirs (Jonna et al .
1989 ). Qualitative remote sensing methods have
been used for real-time monitoring of inland
water quality (Gitelson et al . 1993 ) Airborne
sensor has also been used to study the primary
productivity and related parameters of coastal
waters and large waterbodies ( Seshamani et al.
1994 ).
26.12.5.3 Water Resource
Management
With the development of highly precise RS techniques in spatial resolution and GIS, the modeling of watershed has become more physically
based and distributed to enumerate interactive
hydrological processes considering spatial heterogeneity. A distributed model with SCS curve
number method called Land Use Change (LUC)
model was developed ( Mohan and Shrestha
2000 ) to assess the hydrological changes due to
land use modifi cation. The model developed was
applied to Bagmati River catchment in
Kathmandu Valley basin, Nepal. The study
clearly demonstrated that integration of RS, GIS
and spatially distributed model provides a powerful tool for assessment of the hydrological
changes due to land use modifi cations.
26.12.5.4 Mapping of Wetland
The Space Application Center (SAC) has mapped
the wetlands at 1:250,000 scale in the mainland
as well the islands using the visual interpretation
of coarse-resolution satellite data. The states of
Sikkim, West Bengal, Goa Punjab, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Andaman,
Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nager Haveli
were mapped at 1:50,000 scale. However, in the
rest of the country, only wetlands of 56.25 ha and
above in size could be mapped. It is known that a
vast majority of wetlands, often of high conservation signifi cance, are <50 ha in size (e.g. those in
the Indo-Gangetic plains and in the Deccan peninsula). Thus, the inventory covered only a small
number of wetlands. Moreover, the conservation
values are not known for those wetlands even
whose inventory has now been obtained. The
data merely indicates location of wetlands; the
classifi cation of wetlands on 1:250,000 scale is
only geomorphologic in nature (such as oxbow
lakes, playas, lakes and ponds) and has no other
factual biological conservation value. By itself,
the information will only be partly useful for conservation of wetlands.
26.12.6 Example Related to
Wetland Conservation:
Issues and Applications
Application of GIS and spatial analysis has been
gaining importance also in issues of wetland conservation. In particular, there have been efforts
regarding how tools of RS and GIS, combined
with an extremely well-coordinated and organised fi eld programme, could contribute to formation of a viable national level wetland conservation
and monitoring programme.
26.12.6.1 Issues and Applications
Three major issues are involved in evolving wetland conservation and monitoring programme,
namely, (a) use of spatial technology tools,
namely, primary use of RS data to obtain actual
location of wetland, inventory and classifi cation
of spatial data; (b) use of information on species
distribution of birds, plants and socio-economic
issues related to the wetlands.; and (c) integration
of the data and information from the two above.
Concomitantly, the inland wetland inventory for
the entire country could be carried out by making
26.12 Wetland Habitat Mapping Exemplifi ed