Geospatial for Conservation of Aravali Hills against Urban Development in Udaipur Region, Rajasthan, India

A robust geospatial workflow for delineating Hill Top Hill Slope (HTHS) and 'no construction' zones has been developed to address the lack of transparent, objective criteria in Rajasthan's hill policy. The study, focusing on Udaipur's Aravali hills, mapped over 140 development sites using CORONA datasets, Google Earth historical imageries, and ESRI satellite basemap, revealing widespread construction on slopes exceeding 20° and elevations above 700 meters. FABDEM DEM was identified as the most accurate for vertical measurements in hilly areas, aiding in terrain characterization and decision-making for new development proposals. This workflow offers a practical solution for enforcing an effective hill policy to conserve the Aravali hills against urban encroachment.

Jalan, S., & Dandabathula, G. (2025). Geospatial for Conservation of Aravali Hills against Urban Development in Udaipur Region, Rajasthan, India. ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, X-5/W2-2025, 271–278. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-x-5-w2-2025-271-2025