Identification of Coastal Risk Zones for the Balasore Coastline, Odisha, India using Geospatial Techniques

Balasore district's coastal zone with the shoreline, tidal channel, estuaries, mud banks, sandbanks & wetlands is changing rapidly after the effects of cyclone landfalls of Hudhud (2014), Phailin, Titli (2018), & Fani (2019). The paper reveals the study of risk assessment of the Balasore coast and environmental approaches for saving the animal kingdom. These current modifications to the coast's configuration and the changes in the shoreline are likely caused by strong winds and waves, the moving water of the rivers to the low-lying coastal regions, and the water currents in the surrounding shallow waters. This urgency arises from a more profound understanding of the complexities posed by climate change and its increasingly severe implications (Bergillos et al., 2019; Mentaschi et al., 2017; Rodriguez-Delgado et al., 2020). The Coastal Risk zone identification model has been applied with a focus on six parameters, i.e., Cyclone Hazard Score (CHS), Storm Surge Height, Wave Height, Swell Period, Wind Speed, and Land Use & Land Cover. This study helped to focus on the high-risk assessment zone as the Subarnarekha estuary, Budhabalang river estuary, and Kasafal, whereas Chandipur shows a low-risk zone. The work has been concluded with an environmental zoning approach (EZA) for the reduction of coastal risk in the coastal zones of Balasore district, Odisha.