ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF FLOOD AND THEIR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT IN DELTAIC REGION OF WEST BENGAL, INDIA

Abstract

Flood is one of the basic factors for sustainable development and environmental management in the humid, tropical and sub-tropical regions. Flood characteristics decide the status of the terrain for its capability for sustaining the increased population of that area. In this paper, an attempt has been made to analyze the flood characteristics using the Gumble's Method and their impact on sustainable development and environmental management in the Deltaic Region of West Bengal, India. The Murshidabad District of the West Bengal State, India has been selected as a case study to assess the environmental impact of flood and their characteristics which includes different measures like flood elevation, discharge, volume and duration. The physical and socio-economic condition of the study-area have also been analyzed. An attempt has also been made to suggest some measures for the development of the study-area. Key Words: Flood, Flood Plain, Flood Characteristics, Gumble's Method, Sustainable Development and Environmental Management