Tropical Deltas: Fragility, Resiliency, and Sustainability

Tropical deltas of the world are in decline and are threatened by climate change, geo-environmental dynamics, natural hazards, and disasters. This book is a comprehensive discussion of the present delta crisis and the various risks the deltas are facing due to human and natural factors. It addresses their resilience, the importance of biodiversity, and the future adaptations for sustainable management of tropical deltas. The use of geospatial tools for the assessment and modeling of environmental degradations and the applications of AI and ML are examined in 22 chapters, from different major deltas of the world, to help readers understand the interdisciplinary perspective of deltas’ vulnerability and sustainability.

Features

• Provides comprehensive coverage of global tropical deltas, their physical environment, hazard profiles, and socio-economic threats in a changing climate.
• Includes research-based discussions blended with global case studies to demonstrate the status of deltas around the world and the status of field-based investigations.
• Offers a holistic understanding of multifaceted dimensions of delta crises due to changes in landscape ecology, and the impact of various natural and man-made hazards.
• Addresses the critical challenges of sustainable management using a modelling approach with spatial maps and geostatistical diagrams.
• Discusses perspectives of restoring delta systems around the globe for solving environmental and societal problems.

This reference book is for researchers, academics, graduate, and senior undergraduate students in Geography, Geomorphology, Hydrology, Regional Planning, Environmental Science, Ecology, and Engineering, and those interested in water conservation and sustainability, including professionals in industry and government, and human rights activists.

Dr. Aznarul Islam is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, at Aliah University, Kolkata, India. His principal areas of research include floods, channel shifting, riverbank erosion, river pollution, and water resource management. He has published more than 85 indexed journal articles and has authored three books and edited 12 books. He has supervised four PhD fellows and performed as the Principal Investigator (PI) in two major research Projects funded by Government of India (GoI) and working as a Co-PI in an International collaborative research project funded by International Science Partnerships Fund, British Council and ICSSR, GoI.

Dr. Debajit Datta is an Associate Professor of Geography at the Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India. He specializes in landscape ecology and environmental planning. He has extensively worked on the management of coastal and forest ecosystems of eastern India, potentials of ecotourism development and sustainable livelihood generation of indigenous communities for the last 18 years. He has published more than 80 research papers and scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, edited book volumes, and periodicals. He serves as Associate Editor of two international journals of Springer Nature Publications.

Dr. Biplab Sarkar is a teaching faculty at the Post-Graduate Department of Geography, Dr. Kanailal Bhattacharyya College, Howrah, West Bengal, India. He is investigating the ecomorphological responses to climate change and human interventions in the Bengal Delta. He has published 1 book, 20 research articles in different journals of national and international repute and four book chapters.

Dr. Sandipan Ghosh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, Chandrapur College, West Bengal, India. His principal research field includes Fluvial Geomorphology, Regolith Geology and Quaternary Geomorphology. He has published four books and over 50 research articles in various geography and geosciences journals.

Dr. Sanat Kumar Guchhait is a Professor in the Department of Geography, at the University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India. His areas of research and publication are about the tune of the environment, society, and livelihood. He has successfully supervised 11 doctoral students and published 75 research papers in different peer-reviewed journals and edited books.

Dr. Adolfo Quesada-Román is a Costa Rican geographer and geomorphologist with expertise in disaster risk management, cartography and geospatial analysis, environmental impact assessments, and climate change impacts. He has authored more than 150 indexed publications and actively collaborates with local governments, international organizations, and research institutions. His work is especially focused on tropical and developing countries, where he integrates geoscientific knowledge into strategies for sustainable territorial planning, climate adaptation, and risk reduction.