Urban Watershed Management in the Doon Valley: A Geospatial Assessment of Himalayan Watersheds

Abstract Understanding the watershed’s topography and Land Use Land Cover (LULC) is essential for developing a watershed management policy. In this research, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data, Survey of India (SOI) Toposheet, and multispectral satellite imagery were used to analyse Himalayan rivers (Bindal and Rispana) watersheds hydrology and topography along with LULC. The morphometric analysis approach was employed for hydrological and topographical characterization, and the supervised classification method was applied to LULC classification. This study concludes that both watersheds have low to moderate relief and dendritic drainage patterns with elongated shapes. Also, compared to the Bindal watershed, whose relief ratio value is 26.59 and has a compactness coefficient value (1.92), the Rispana watershed has a higher relief ratio (69.84) and a higher compactness coefficient value (2.42), respectively, making it more susceptible to erosion and landslides. Further, based on the LULC classification, the Built-up class is the second dominant class in both watersheds, after the Forest class, with 40.36 % in the Bindal watershed and 26.83 % in the Rispana watershed. This increases biotic pressure may cause urban flooding, health risks, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem imbalance in both river systems. These findings address critical gaps in understanding urban watershed dynamics and offer valuable insights for sustainable resource management and policy formulation.