dc.description.abstract | Sundarbans is one of the most populated and largest deltas in the world and is located at the mouth of three major rivers- Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna that empty into the Bay of Bengal along the east coast of India. The landforms of Sundarbans are changing shape rapidly following impact of several forcing parameters, both natural (atmospheric, physical, chemical and geological) and anthropogenic (pollution, tourism, deforestation). We submit here an assessment of changes in shoreline pattern of 14 islands in Indian Sundarbans (ISD) since 1979. Using multi temporal satellite images of LANDSAT, we found that as many as four islands within ISD have lost area in excess of 30%. While the area loss for another three islands has been between 10 and 30%, five islands show minor loss of area (<10%). The shoreline variations in two other islands, however, are of extreme nature. While the Lohachar Island on the river Hoogly was completely submerged by the end of the last century, the neighboring Nayachar Island on the same river has gained more than 30 km<sup>2</sup> of land area. An interesting difference in nature of land loss is seen between western and eastern group of islands. Over the last 32 years, the total loss of area in six western islands (Ghoramara, Sagar, Jambudwip, Mousuni, Namkhana, Lothian) has been 23.64 km<sup>2</sup>, while another six islands from eastern Sundarbans (Surendranagar, Dhanchi, Bulchery, Chulkati, Dalhousie and Bhangaduani) have lost about 53.85 km<sup>2</sup> of land area. The role of various forcing parameters, such as long shore current, abnormal tidal heights, subsidence, tilting of crust and sub-surface geomorphology, in effecting changes in shoreline pattern in 14 Islands of the Indian Sundarbans are discussed | |