Evaluating the drivers of groundwater spring discharge in Sindh basin of Kashmir Himalaya

Hilal Ahmad Sheikh (), M. Sultan Bhat (), Akhtar Alam (), Shafkat Ahsan () and Bilquis Shah ()
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Hilal Ahmad Sheikh: University of Kashmir
M. Sultan Bhat: University of Kashmir
Akhtar Alam: University of Kashmir
Shafkat Ahsan: University of Kashmir
Bilquis Shah: University of Kashmir

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, 2024, vol. 26, issue 10, No 45, 25645-25667

Abstract: Abstract Mountain springs are the only water source for most of the communities in the Kashmir Himalayas. However, over the past two decades, the discharge of these springs has decreased, and some springs have dried up. The current study mapped springs from the Sindh basin of the Kashmir Himalaya via a GPS-based Field survey. The dynamics of spring discharge were evaluated vis-à-vis climatic variability, land use changes, snow cover area, and any major developmental projects in the catchment. The observed temperature and precipitation data were subjected to trend analysis using the Mann Kendall’s tau test and Sen’s slope estimator. MODIS data were used to understand the dynamics of the Snow Cover Area (SCA) from 2010 to 2021. Landsat satellite imagery was processed to quantify the changes in Land use/cover (LULC). The study found that 13% of the springs below 1600 masl, 22% from 1600 to 2500 masl, and 28.9% above 2500 masl have witnessed a high decrease in discharge. The seasonality of the spring discharge implies snowmelt is the predominant source. The time series analysis shows a weak decreasing trend in the precipitation during the growing season (Spring and Summer). However, both minimum and maximum temperatures show a statistically significant upward trend and result in the early melting of the snow, also confirmed by the analysis of SCA. The study reveals that climate change and LULC change are responsible for the drying of the springs.

Keywords: Himalayas; Climate change; Land use; MODIS; Spring; Discharge (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s10668-023-03700-4

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