The Indian River Delta under the Interweaving of Climate Change and Human Activities: Multidimensional Impacts from Waterlogging to Salinization

Research Article
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The Indian River Delta under the Interweaving of Climate Change and Human Activities: Multidimensional Impacts from Waterlogging to Salinization

Antong Xu 1*
  • 1 Hubei University, Wuhan, China, 430062    
  • *corresponding author 202231108024042@stu.hubu.edu.cn
TNS Vol.102
ISSN (Print): 2753-8826
ISSN (Online): 2753-8818
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-013-9
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-014-6

Abstract

As an important estuarine wetland in South Asia, the Indus Delta is facing the dual challenges of climate change and human activities. This study focuses on the multidimensional impacts of extreme precipitation, increased droughts due to climate change, and human activities (e.g., irrigated agriculture, urban sprawl, and dam construction) on regional water resources and ecosystems. This paper discusses the causes of frequent flooding, increased soil salinization and coastal erosion in the delta region and related management strategy recommendations through literature analysis, case studies and geographic information technology. It is found that monsoon precipitation imbalance and poor irrigation management lead to an abnormal rise in the water table, which exacerbates salinization; urbanization expands impervious area, which weakens the natural drainage capacity and induces waterlogging; and the construction of upstream dams accelerates coastal degradation by altering the water-sand balance. The conclusions of the study emphasize the need for synergistic management through engineering measures, policy optimization and ecological restoration to address the sustainable development challenges of the delta.

Keywords:

Indian River Delta, climate change, human activities, waterlogging, salinization

Xu,A. (2025). The Indian River Delta under the Interweaving of Climate Change and Human Activities: Multidimensional Impacts from Waterlogging to Salinization. Theoretical and Natural Science,102,69-74.
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References

[1]. Government of Pakistan. (2024) Contingency plan 2024. https://www.mowr.gov.pk/

[2]. Asad Sarwar Qureshi. (2011) Water Management in the Indus Basin in Pakistan: Challenges and Opportunities. Mountain Research and Development, 31(3):252-260.

[3]. Zafar Hussain, Zongmin Wang, et al. (2024) CORDEX Ensemble-based drought projections for Sindh Province of Pakistan under climate change. Journal of Water and Climate Change, 1 November; 15 (11): 5501–5517.

[4]. Ajit T. Singh, C.M. Laluraj, Parmanand Sharma, et al. (2021) Hydrograph apportionment of the Chandra River draining from a semi-arid region of the Upper Indus Basin, western Himalaya, Science of The Total Environment, Volume 780, 146500.

[5]. Bhutta, M.N. and Smedema, L.K. (2007) One hundred years of waterlogging and salinity control in the Indus valley, Pakistan: a historical review†. Irrig. and Drain, 56: S81-S90.

[6]. Atif, S., Umar, M. & Ullah, F. (2021) Investigating the flood damages in Lower Indus Basin since 2000: Spatiotemporal analyses of the major flood events. Nat Hazards, 108, 2357–2383.

[7]. Rehman, A., Ma, H., Oláh, J., Alvarado, R., & Işık, C. (2023). Agricultural machinery, irrigation systems and food grains: A symmetric novel analysis. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 9(2).

[8]. Government of Pakistan (2018) National Water Policy. https://www.mowr.gov.pk/

[9]. Adnan M., Xiao B., Bibi S., et al. (2024) Known and Unknown Environmental Impacts Related to Climate Changes in Pakistan: An Under-Recognized Risk to Local Communities. Sustainability, 16(14):6108.

[10]. Gohar Ali Mahar, Nayyer Alam Zaigham, Muhammad Azam, Syed Ikhlaq Hussain. (2022) Morphological evolution of Indus shelf region under the influence of hydrodynamic conditions in 20th century, Journal of Sea Research, Volume 184, 102216.

[11]. Altaf Ali Siyal, Ghulam Shabir Solangi, et al. (2022) Shoreline change assessment of Indus delta using GIS-DSAS and satellite data, Regional Studies in Marine Science, Volume 53, 2022102405.

[12]. Hafsa Aeman, Hong Shu, Sawaid Abbas, Hamera Aisha, Muhammad Usman. (2023) Sinking delta: Quantifying the impacts of saltwater intrusion in the Indus Delta of Pakistan, Science of The Total Environment, Volume 880, 2023, 163356.

[13]. Solangi, Ghulam Shabir; Siyal, Altaf Ali; Siyal, Pirah. (2023) Indication of subsurface seawater intrusion into the Indus delta, Sindh, Pakistan. Mehran University Research Journal of Engineering and Technology, [S.l.], v. 42, n. 1, pp. 9-16.

[14]. Yuqin Huang, Jinyao Lin, Xiaoyu He, Zhuochun Lin, Zhifeng Wu, Xinchang Zhang. (2024) Assessing the scale effect of urban vertical patterns on urban waterlogging: An empirical study in Shenzhen, Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Volume 106, 107486.

[15]. Muhammad Wajid Ijaz, Rasool Bux Mahar, Kamran Ansari, Altaf Ali Siyal. (2019) Optimization of salinity intrusion control through freshwater and tidal inlet modifications for the Indus River Estuary, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Volume 224, pp. 51-61.

[16]. Waqar Ahmed, Ying Wu, Samina Kidwai, Xiuzhen Li, Tariq Mahmood, Jing Zhang. (2021) Do Indus Delta mangroves and Indus River contribute to organic carbon in deltaic creeks and coastal waters (Northwest Indian Ocean, Pakistan)? Continental Shelf Research, Volume 231, 104601.

Cite this article

Xu,A. (2025). The Indian River Delta under the Interweaving of Climate Change and Human Activities: Multidimensional Impacts from Waterlogging to Salinization. Theoretical and Natural Science,102,69-74.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

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Volume title: Proceedings of ICEGEE 2025 Symposium: Impact of Technological Innovation on Energy Efficiency in European Countries

ISBN：978-1-80590-013-9(Print) / 978-1-80590-014-6(Online)
Editor：Javier Cifuentes-Faura
Conference website: https://www.icegee.org/murcia.html
Conference date: 16 May 2025
Series: Theoretical and Natural Science
Volume number: Vol.102
ISSN：2753-8818(Print) / 2753-8826(Online)

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References

[1]. Government of Pakistan. (2024) Contingency plan 2024. https://www.mowr.gov.pk/

[2]. Asad Sarwar Qureshi. (2011) Water Management in the Indus Basin in Pakistan: Challenges and Opportunities. Mountain Research and Development, 31(3):252-260.

[3]. Zafar Hussain, Zongmin Wang, et al. (2024) CORDEX Ensemble-based drought projections for Sindh Province of Pakistan under climate change. Journal of Water and Climate Change, 1 November; 15 (11): 5501–5517.

[4]. Ajit T. Singh, C.M. Laluraj, Parmanand Sharma, et al. (2021) Hydrograph apportionment of the Chandra River draining from a semi-arid region of the Upper Indus Basin, western Himalaya, Science of The Total Environment, Volume 780, 146500.

[5]. Bhutta, M.N. and Smedema, L.K. (2007) One hundred years of waterlogging and salinity control in the Indus valley, Pakistan: a historical review†. Irrig. and Drain, 56: S81-S90.

[6]. Atif, S., Umar, M. & Ullah, F. (2021) Investigating the flood damages in Lower Indus Basin since 2000: Spatiotemporal analyses of the major flood events. Nat Hazards, 108, 2357–2383.

[7]. Rehman, A., Ma, H., Oláh, J., Alvarado, R., & Işık, C. (2023). Agricultural machinery, irrigation systems and food grains: A symmetric novel analysis. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 9(2).

[8]. Government of Pakistan (2018) National Water Policy. https://www.mowr.gov.pk/

[9]. Adnan M., Xiao B., Bibi S., et al. (2024) Known and Unknown Environmental Impacts Related to Climate Changes in Pakistan: An Under-Recognized Risk to Local Communities. Sustainability, 16(14):6108.

[10]. Gohar Ali Mahar, Nayyer Alam Zaigham, Muhammad Azam, Syed Ikhlaq Hussain. (2022) Morphological evolution of Indus shelf region under the influence of hydrodynamic conditions in 20th century, Journal of Sea Research, Volume 184, 102216.

[11]. Altaf Ali Siyal, Ghulam Shabir Solangi, et al. (2022) Shoreline change assessment of Indus delta using GIS-DSAS and satellite data, Regional Studies in Marine Science, Volume 53, 2022102405.

[12]. Hafsa Aeman, Hong Shu, Sawaid Abbas, Hamera Aisha, Muhammad Usman. (2023) Sinking delta: Quantifying the impacts of saltwater intrusion in the Indus Delta of Pakistan, Science of The Total Environment, Volume 880, 2023, 163356.

[13]. Solangi, Ghulam Shabir; Siyal, Altaf Ali; Siyal, Pirah. (2023) Indication of subsurface seawater intrusion into the Indus delta, Sindh, Pakistan. Mehran University Research Journal of Engineering and Technology, [S.l.], v. 42, n. 1, pp. 9-16.

[14]. Yuqin Huang, Jinyao Lin, Xiaoyu He, Zhuochun Lin, Zhifeng Wu, Xinchang Zhang. (2024) Assessing the scale effect of urban vertical patterns on urban waterlogging: An empirical study in Shenzhen, Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Volume 106, 107486.

[15]. Muhammad Wajid Ijaz, Rasool Bux Mahar, Kamran Ansari, Altaf Ali Siyal. (2019) Optimization of salinity intrusion control through freshwater and tidal inlet modifications for the Indus River Estuary, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Volume 224, pp. 51-61.

[16]. Waqar Ahmed, Ying Wu, Samina Kidwai, Xiuzhen Li, Tariq Mahmood, Jing Zhang. (2021) Do Indus Delta mangroves and Indus River contribute to organic carbon in deltaic creeks and coastal waters (Northwest Indian Ocean, Pakistan)? Continental Shelf Research, Volume 231, 104601.

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