Hydrologic Characterization of the Vembanad Wetlands of Kerala State

摘要

The Vembanad wetlands of Kerala State in India has many mutually conflicting water and land use functions like flood control, pollution control, inland navigation, tourism, biodiversity, and agriculture. A number of artificial interventions lead to the environmental degradation of wetlands; increased flood proneness being one of the major adverse impacts. In this study, hydrology of Vembanad wetlands system is characterized in terms of the river flow patterns to the system and its variability, sediment loads, seasonal water level variations, and overall water balance. The study shows that river flows from upper basins form the primary water inputs to the wetlands and thus contribute major share of the outflows to the Arabian sea. Floods in the region are slow rising and attain the peak in a few days. Increase of storage in river basins is essential for optimal utilization of river flows for future water resources development in river basins and to sustain the different functions of the wetlands.