Majuli towards
Degradation: A Spatio-Temporal Analysis on Land Area and Vegetation Cover Changes
in the World’s Largest Inhabitant River Island
Bora Kuldeep, Kashyap Parag Jyoti and Bose Sahana
Disaster Advances; Vol. 19(1); 74-81;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/191da074081; (2026)
Abstract
Majuli, the world's largest inhabited river island, is undergoing severe riverbank
erosion and vegetation depletion, endangering its cultural heritage and the livelihoods
of its 0.2 million residents. This study utilizes Landsat series satellite data
from 1987, 1999, 2011 and 2023, integrated with Geographic Information System (GIS)
software, to quantify changes in land area and vegetation cover over 36 years. Digitizing
land area using the Normalised Difference Water Index (NDWI) method analysis indicates
that erosion significantly exceeds deposition, with the island's area declining
from 726.83 sq. km. (as per digitization) in 1987 to 650.17 sq. km. in 1999, briefly
increasing to 717.84 sq. km. in 2011, before decreasing to 654.18 sq. km. in 2023.
Vegetation analysis, utilizing the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)
method, Land Use and Land Cover (LU/LC) classifications, reveals a drastic reduction
in dense vegetation from 0.40 sq. km. in 1987 to none in 2023 and in sparse vegetation
from 59.26 sq. km. to 2.28 sq. km. The study emphasizes that increasing population
pressure, fluvial activities and agricultural demands are key factors exacerbating
these environmental changes. It recommends integrated restoration and conservation
efforts involving Government agencies, NGOs and local communities to mitigate erosion
and to restore vegetation on Majuli.
