Correlating Precipitation
Dynamics with Land-use Land-cover change over Mahanadi River Basin in India
Rajput Preeti, Verma Mukesh Kumar, Garg Ajay Kumar and Sinha Manish Kumar
Disaster Advances; Vol. 18(7); 14-24;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/187da014024; (2025)
Abstract
The pattern of precipitation has shifted over time, shaped by alterations in land
use and land cover (LULC), which impacted local meteorological conditions. This
study analyzes LULC changes in the Mahanadi River basin, utilizing satellite observations
and meteorological reanalysis datasets to assess their impact on regional weather
parameters and surface fluxes. The impact of LULC changes on regional meteorology
was investigated by applying correlation analysis with multiple linear regression
to weather variables. The objective was to ascertain the enduring relationship between
precipitation and atmospheric heat, as well as to quantify these dynamics in Aw
and Cwa climate zones throughout both monsoon and non-monsoon seasons. Landsat TM
and ETM+ satellite imagery was used to produce LULC data for the years 2005, 2010,
2015 and 2020. Over the previous 20 years, plantation lands fell 69%, according
to LULC change statistics, whereas built-up and agricultural areas grew by 11% and
21% respectively. Correlation analysis indicates that the R² value between precipitation
and relative humidity varies from 0.70 to 0.78. The Bowen ratio and solar radiation
have an inverse connection with precipitation, with R² values ranging from 0.5 to
0.6 and 0.7 to 0.8, respectively, indicating that lessened latent heat and elevated
solar radiation are associated with decreased precipitation.
According to the results, more impermeable surfaces will lower the amount of water
in the atmosphere. This will cause solar energy and the Bowen ratio to rise, while
humidity in the air will decrease. The research emphasizes significant alterations
in climatic conditions and surface fluxes, leading to atmospheric heat and reduced
moisture levels. These findings highlight the significance of proficient LULC management
in alleviating these effects.
