Assessment of Flood-Emanated Impediments to Kaziranga National Park Grassland Ecosystem—A Binocular Vision with Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System

Flooding significantly disrupts the grassland ecosystem of Kaziranga National Park (KNP), a UNESCO World Heritage Site and critical habitat for the great Indian rhino, elephant, and Royal Bengal Tiger. A study using remote sensing and geographic information systems revealed that floods cause extensive degradation and fragmentation of KNP's alluvial grasslands, which are vital for rhino feeding habitats. These impacts take considerable time to recover, posing a severe threat to vulnerable rhino populations (IUCN Red List: B1ab (iii)). The research utilized SARAL/AltiKa data to measure Brahmaputra River water levels, Landsat 8 OLI for land use and land cover mapping, and Sentinel 1A to detect flood situations during August 2017. Integrating real-time assessment data from these sources offers potential for improved conservation practices and natural resource management in the park.

Ghosh, S., Nandy, S., Chakraborty, D., Kumar, R., Kumar, V., Chattopadhyay, S., & Srivastav, P. (2018). Assessment of Flood-Emanated Impediments to Kaziranga National Park Grassland Ecosystem—A Binocular Vision with Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System. Geospatial Applications for Natural Resources Management, 275–290. https://doi.org/10.1201/b22040-17