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PLANNING FOR URBAN WATER BODIES USING

GEO-SPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES – A CASE
STUDY OF BENGALURU

1.1. INTRODUCTION
Urbanization in India is inevitable. Especially utmost in all large cities, it
is not simply demographics but many other factors which will go hand in hand.
So the cities have expanded rapidly. At the same time, the rapid development put
heavy pressures on urban environment and ecology. The damage to and loss of
many surface water bodies in urban regions is related directly or indirectly to the
water crises that, in one way or another are the outcome of unplanned land use
development during urban sprawl. The need for solving the various problems
associated with it requires various combination institutional and legal
framework.
The dynamics may not be immediately visible but it’s the accumulation
from the series of agenda. It is therefore important to realize that surface water
bodies are sensitive to the impacts of urbanization practices in mega cities and
ensure that these potential impacts can be handled.
It is widely recognized that urbanization changes hydrological processes
within watersheds by altering surface infiltration characteristics (J. Du et al.
2012). By this definition surface water bodies can take different forms, sizes and
shapes due to local physiographic factors. These different types of water are
mainly fresh water which sustain various types of flora and fauna. It is not only
the aquatic life forms which are dependent on these water bodies but also other
living creatures like birds, animals etc. The availability of freshwater is vital not
only for the survival of the human race, but also the survival of the ecosystems
upon which humans depend (Eduful and Shively 2015). In the case of cities
located in alluvial river plains, surface water bodies may occupy large areas but
severe ecological and environmental consequences can arise if they are given
insufficient weight in the planning and development processes (N. Du, Ottens,
and Sliuzas 2010) which has also accelerated the sedimentation and siltation

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process within these water bodies. Water crisis is particularly very severe in
highly populated urban areas and it is going to be further aggravated with world
becoming urban as pointed out by the World Commission Report on
Environment and Sustainability by 2020.
Identifying, delineating, and mapping of wetlands on a temporal scale
provide an opportunity to monitor the changes, which is important for natural
resource management and planning activities (Ramachandra 2001). Temporal
RS data coupled with spatial analysis helps in monitoring the status and extent
of spatial features. The spectral signature associated in each pixel of the remotely
sensed data is used to perform the classification and, indeed, is used as the
numerical basis for categorization of various spatial features (Lillesand & Kiefer,
2002).
In recent years, a number of studies have proved that there are significant
effects of land use changes on urban lakes and other urban water bodies, all
studies extraction of water bodies are made using different techniques and are
compared with urban growth but every data set is from recent time line such as
studies on analysing the relationships between lake area reduction and lakefront
land use changes (Zhu, Zhang, and Tong 2015), land-use management of lake
areas in urban fringes using GIS analysis (Liu et al. 2007), land use change
effects of lake restoration(Zhao et al. 2003), water body extraction and change
detection using time series (Sarp and Ozcelik 2017), automated Delineation of
Wetlands of Greater Bangalore from 1973-2007 (Ramachandra 2001), analysis
of land use changes between 1993 and 2004 to lakes and shallow water bodies
and their riparian areas(N. Du, Ottens, and Sliuzas 2010), effect of Urbanization
on Surface Water Bodies from 1991-2005(Zhu et al. 2016), water body changes
in Lake Burdur from 1987 to 2011 (Sarp and Ozcelik 2017), assessing the impact
of urbanization on storm runoff in a peri-urban from 1960-2012 (Miller et al.
2014).
In this work, data set used are from historical aerial photographs (Corona
photographs) to Landsat series, indices thresholding, delineation of water extent,

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comparing and assessing the result with Cadastral records. Building up relation
between Urbanization trends (distance and direction) versus water bodies.

1.2. AIM
The aim of the study is to “Investigate the Urban Pressure on Water
Bodies in Bengaluru using Geo-spatial Technologies thereby to understand
the spatio-temporal changes that have occurred in the city during the past
decades and propose effective measures for their conservation and
restoration”
1.3. OBJECTIVES
 Assess the impact of urbanization on Water Bodies in Bengaluru.
 Establish a relationship between urban sprawl and water bodies.
 Utilize cadastral records as benchmarks for Water Bodies.
 Study spatio-temporal changes in water bodies using spectral indices.
 Proposal of effective measures for the conservation and restoration of the
water bodies which shall be inline with the guidelines from the stakeholders.

1.4. NEED FOR STUDY

The need for an in-depth study on water body depletion, with a specific
focus on cities like Bengaluru, becomes imperative when examining the
alarming statistics presented in the Table-1. Bengaluru stands out with a
staggering 79% reduction in its water bodies, a finding reported by the Economic
Times in March 2018, sourced from the Centre for Science & Environment
(CSE). However, it's not an isolated case; other major cities like Mumbai,
Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Delhi also exhibit significant reductions in
their water bodies, as reflected.
Table 1 Why Mega Cities ?
Newspape
SN City Depletion Statistics Source
r
Economic Centre for Science &
1. Bengaluru 79% (Mar23, 18)
Times Environment (CSE)
Hindustan
2. Mumbai 65% (Jun27, 17) IISC, Bengaluru
Times
3. Chennai Hindu ~60% (Aug18, 16) IIT Madras
40 - 50% (Oct15,
4. Hyderabad First spot
16)

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Spatial extents of
Srinagar - 50% lakes & wetlands
5. report
Times of South Asian Form for
Kolkata 46% (Feb3, 16)
India Environment (SAFE)
Times of
6. Delhi 40% (Oct23, 16) IISC, Bengaluru
India

These statistics paint a bleak picture of water body depletion across major
urban centers, necessitating comprehensive research to understand the
underlying causes, environmental consequences, and socio-economic impacts.
Such a study is crucial for guiding informed decision-making, shaping policies,
and developing strategies to mitigate further depletion, restore water bodies, and
ensure long-term resilience in the face of climate change. Moreover, it is
essential for raising public awareness and fostering community engagement in
conservation efforts.

Given the significant decrease in water bodies over recent decades,

focusing on Bengaluru as the primary study area is a logical choice. Such a
concentrated examination can serve as a valuable blueprint for comprehending
and tackling similar challenges in other urban locales grappling with water body
depletion, facilitating collaborative endeavors to safeguard these indispensable
resources.

1.5. SCOPE & LIMITATION

The scope of this study is controlled to Bengaluru with the primary focus
on the surface water bodies within the city's administrative boundary. These
water bodies will be scrutinized for spatio-temporal changes over multiple
decades, utilizing historical data encompassing satellite imagery, aerial
photographs, and GIS datasets. It further seeks to quantify alternations wrt board
land use and water bodies while examining the connections to the growth
dynamics. Ultimately, the research will generate policy recommendations for the
effective measures for their conservation and restoration to attain the sustainable
urban planning and water body management in Bengaluru.
However, it's important to recognize certain limitations. For instance, the
study's geographical scope is constrained by the Master Plan boundary of RMP-
2041, and the findings and recommendations may be context-specific to
Bengaluru, potentially limiting their applicability to cities with distinct urban and
environmental conditions. Furthermore, the study relies exclusively on data
available through open-source platforms only.

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1.6. METHODOLOGY & CONCLUSION

Data Collection: Gather relevant data on water bodies, urban expansion,
cadastral records, and socio-economic indicators for Bengaluru. This may
include satellite imagery, GIS data, land use maps, population data, and urban
development records.

Spectral Indices Analysis: Use spectral indices (e.g., NDVI - Normalized

Difference Vegetation Index, NDWI - Normalized Difference Water Index) to
analyze changes in vegetation and water bodies over time.

Urban Expansion Analysis: Analyze urban growth and expansion patterns

using historical land use maps and satellite images. Identify areas of significant
urbanization and assess their proximity to water bodies.

Spatial Analysis: Conduct spatial analysis to understand the spatial

relationships between urban developments and water bodies. This may involve
proximity analysis, hotspot analysis, and buffer analysis.

Correlation Analysis: Perform correlation analysis to establish relationships

between urban expansion and changes in water bodies. This will help in
understanding the impact of urbanization on water bodies.

Conclusion phase will analyze the results, identify key findings, assess the
impact of urbanization on water bodies, and provide policy recommendations for
sustainable urban planning.

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1.7. THESIS FRAMEWORK

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 Literature Review

Chapter 3 Study Area

Chapter 4 Data set and Methodology

Chapter 5 Result and Recommendation

Chapter 6 Conclusion and Policy Implications

1.8. REFERENCE
Du, Jinkang et al. 2012. “Assessing the Effects of Urbanization on Annual
Runoff and Flood Events Using an Integrated Hydrological Modeling System
for Qinhuai River Basin, China.” Journal of Hydrology 464–465: 127–39.

Eduful, Michael, and David Shively. 2015. “Perceptions of Urban Land Use and
Degradation of Water Bodies in Kumasi, Ghana.” Habitat International 50: 206–
13.

Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority (KLCDA). (2018).

"Bengaluru's Lake Status Report."

Government of Karnataka. (2016). Karnataka Lake Conservation and

Development Authority (KLCDA) Act, 2014. Retrieved from
http://klcda.kar.nic.in/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/KLCDA-Act.pdf

Sharma, S., & Ghosh, K. G. (2016). Remote Sensing and GIS-Based Analysis of
Urbanization Impact on Wetlands: A Case Study of Bengaluru, India. Applied
Geography, 75, 86-95.

Garg, S., and Gopal, B. (2019). "Assessment of Urban Wetlands in Bengaluru:

A Geospatial Analysis." In Advances in Geospatial Technologies for Sustainable
Urban Planning and Development (pp. 159-173). IGI Global.

Kumar, A., & Tiwari, K. N. (2018). Urban Expansion and Its Impact on Water
Bodies in Patna City Using Remote Sensing and GIS. Journal of Hydrology:
Regional Studies, 16, 53-64.

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Jha, M. K., Chowdhury, A., and Chowdary, V. M. (2005). "Prioritization of

watersheds in the Bundelkhand region, India, based on integrated watershed
management approach using remote sensing and GIS." Journal of the Indian
Society of Remote Sensing, 33(3), 321-333.

Krishna, P. H. (2018). "Urbanization and its Impact on Lakes of Bangalore: A

Spatio-Temporal Analysis." Indian Journal of Spatial Science, 9(2), 175-189.

Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India. (2015). "Smart Cities

Mission: Bengaluru City Proposal."

Ramachandra, T. V., et al. (2018). "Urban Wetlands of Bengaluru, India:

Seasonal Variations in Water Quality." In Urban Ecohydrology (pp. 271-283).
Springer.

Ramachandra, T. V. 2001. “Wetlands of Greater Bangalore, India: Automatic

Delineation through Pattern Classifiers.” Electronic Green Journal (26).

Zhao, Shuqing, Jingyun Fang, Wei Ji, and Zhiyao Tang. 2003. “Lake Restoration
from Impoldering: Impact of Land Conversion on Riparian Landscape in
Honghu Lake Area, Central Yangtze.” Agriculture, Ecosystems and
Environment 95(1): 111–18.

Zhu, Jianfeng et al. 2016. “Spatio-Temporal Effect of Urbanization on Surface

Water Bodies: A Method of RS and GIS.” The Open Civil Engineering Journal
10(1): 489–99. http://benthamopen.com/ABSTRACT/TOCIEJ-10-489.

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