Vol. 5, Issue 2, November 2022
Interwoven: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Navrachana University
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Cause and Impact of Alteration Along Riverine Landscape Priyanka Kanhare1* and Aarti Grover2* 1
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School of Environment Design and Architecture (SEDA), Navrachana University, Vasna-Bhayli, Vadodara391410, Gujarat, India
Department of Landscape Architecture/School of Planning and Architecture/ 4-Block-B, Indraprastha Estate, New Delhi-110002, New Delhi, India
Received: 12 July 2022
Revised: 20 September 2022
Accepted: 18 October 2022
Published: 1 November 2022 *Corresponding Author: priyankak@nuv.ac.in1; a.grover@spa.ac.in2
Abstract The urban river environment not only consists of natural features but also other physical surroundings within the city that fall under the influence of the river. They include the river system, the built form, and the networks within the city. Due to development pressures, the built form and the networks try to exploit the river systems. On the basis of a literature study, it was found that assessment of the alteration of riverine landscapes due to anthropogenic activities like riverfront development and its impact on the ecological processes in the upstream and downstream of the river system reveals profound methodological gaps. In this review paper, the cause of the alteration of riverine landscapes and how it impacts the ecological processes are discussed. Riverine landscapes with reference to Indian contexts are discussed in detail to understand the seriousness of this problem. Due to riverfront development activities, there is a change in the structure of the land-water median/edge, along which most of the ecological processes thrive. Hence, it becomes important to find and suggest sustainable ways to deal with this issue. Newer habitats and systems get established due to changes in the course of rivers and water, which need to be safeguarded from further alteration for the overall health of the river. Keywords Riverine ecosystem; altered landscape; riverfront development; impact evaluation; river health; ecological processes
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