Abstract
Rivers across the globe are the most prosperous regions and loci of development of civilisations, e.g., New York on the Hudson, Paris on the Rhine, and Delhi on the bank of Yamuna River are some of the important million-plus cities located along the bank of rivers. Urban transformations of the 21st-century along the river bank create ecological problems in the natural riparian system. Delhi, a megacity, presents a complex case being the national capital of a developing nation with an ever-increasing population. In contrast, the planning of megacities is mainly rooted in the theories of the functioning of cities in the developed world. Delhi’s urban plan has divided Delhi into various planning zones, and the ecologically sensitive Yamuna River floodplain has been designated as Zone ‘O’. A land-hungry city and the artificial structures in the river’s floodplain obstruct, encroach and divert flow and reduce its natural evolution and extent. Such human interventions through casualness in planning for urban floodplains have necessitated the renewal of our understanding regarding the impact of recent urban transformations in the riparian environment and vice-versa and the role of governance. Remote sensing has been used to analyse these changes in the riverbed lying in Delhi and for understanding the planning and governing aspects of zone ‘O’.
Keywords
- Yamuna river
- Floodplain extent
- Megacity Delhi
- Governance
- Floodplain zone ‘O’
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Acknowledgements
This chapter and the research behind it would not have been possible without the exceptional support of my supervisor, Professor Milap Punia. His enthusiasm, knowledge and exacting attention to detail have been an inspiration and kept my work on track. This research was supported by University Grant Commission in form of Junior Research Fellowship and B. R. Ambedkar Central Library, Jawaharlal Nehru University in the form of resources.
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Bhadu, S., Punia, M. (2023). Governance and Floodplain Extent Changes of Yamuna River Floodplain in Megacity Delhi. In: Mustak, S., Singh, D., Srivastava, P.K. (eds) Advanced Remote Sensing for Urban and Landscape Ecology. Advances in Geographical and Environmental Sciences. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-3006-7_10
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