Social psychology of people affected by hazards is different from normal psychology. For example, severe bank erosion in the lower reach of the Bhagirathi River in West Bengal has resulted in significant land loss （-...Social psychology of people affected by hazards is different from normal psychology. For example, severe bank erosion in the lower reach of the Bhagirathi River in West Bengal has resulted in significant land loss （-60% of all households lost land over last 20 years） and affected the livelihoods of the people in the study villages along the river. Per capita income has almost halved from 1970-2012 due to land loss. This stark nature of land erosion and vulnerability of livelihood has had far-reaching repercussions on the fabric of society and the psychology of the people in this region. Results showed that erosion-affected villages have registered compara- tively larger average family sizes （-4.1 as compared to -3.9 in non-affected villages）, lower literacy levels （〈 50% compared to 〉 65% for the non-affected villages）, and poor health. Reports of poor health as a result of land erosion include -60% of the respondents having reported physical ailments such as headache and abdominal discomfort, as well as 3%-5% reporting loss of emotional and psychological balance. Villages suffering from erosion showed higher positive loadings in average-coefficient of variation （CV） differential （25%-40%） depicting objectivity in their opinions for select variables of social processes. Principal component analysis （PCA） por- trayed maximum eigenvalues in the first principal component for interpersonal processes （-98%） and a minimum for intergroup proc- esses （-80%）. Categorical principal component analysis （CATPCA） depicted a cluster between interpersonal and intergroup processes and another between intra-individual and group categories. The positive loadings in female-male differences in CV of perceptions portrayed relative consistency of males over the females concerning fear/phobia and physical stress while negative loadings exhibited higher consistency for females regarding psychological stress and shock. Lastly, the Taj fel matrix portrayed a distinction between hazard psychology characterized by maximum joint profit as found in Rukunpur, and normal psychology characterized by in-group favoritism as found in Matiari.展开更多
The Himalayan mountain range is an internationally recognised landscape but one under increasing developmental threat. The lower Himalayan region possesses immense potential for hydropower generation but is also highl...The Himalayan mountain range is an internationally recognised landscape but one under increasing developmental threat. The lower Himalayan region possesses immense potential for hydropower generation but is also highly susceptible to tectonic deformation and mass wasting, especially landslides. Susceptibility to landslides increases markedly with human activity, especially large scale developmental projects. The impacts of massive hydropower plant construction in the Bhagirathi Valley, Uttarkhand, India on the generation of landslides are the focus of this study. Whilst many positive impacts derive from such projects, devastating negative impacts also accrue. The frequency and characteristics of land sliding within the sphere of influence of the construction sites of the various hydropower plant components were investigated. Landslide frequency was related to parameters of geology, prior land use, drainage density, slope steepness and location in terms of construction aspect. Landslide frequency was found to be greatest in gneissic terrain as well as on previously agricultural and forested lands. Statistical analysis revealed significant relationships between landslide frequency with slope and, frequency with construction aspect, especially the construction of access roads. As with other studies, road construction is the key initiator of land sliding due to slope over steepening and the indiscriminate dumping of debris. The study concludes with recommendations for reducing the frequency and magnitude of mass wasting in this environment.展开更多
Identifying the various components contributing to river discharge can be challenging.This study relies on stable isotopes and electrical conductivity(EC)of water as tracers to distinguish the different components con...Identifying the various components contributing to river discharge can be challenging.This study relies on stable isotopes and electrical conductivity(EC)of water as tracers to distinguish the different components contributing to total river discharge.Additionally,we have made an effort to comprehend the processes that may influence glacier ice melt as well as the limits of oxygen-based hydrograph separation.Two distinct geographic domains in terms of climates and topographies were examined.The first study site represents the upper Ganga catchment(central Himalaya),while the second site is located in the Chandra sub-basin in western Himalaya.Errors in estimating the proportion of glacier melt in isotope mixing model are likely if end-member isotopic compositions,are not well defined,particularly for rainfall.Hydrograph separation results indicate that snowmelt is the largest contributor to total river flow in both regions.The contribution of snowmelt to the total runoff of the upper Ganga ranged from~60%to 70%.The estimated contributions of glacier melt varied from 36%to 63%in upper Ganga headwater to 6%to 15%at Devprayag and~8%at Rishikesh.In the Hamtah River,glacier and snowmelt contributions,quantified using a two-component mixing model,ranged from 10%to 14%during the pre-and postmonsoon seasons of 2013.The significant spatial and temporal variability,coupled with overlapping isotopic signatures,suggests complex glacio-fluvial interactions in these catchments.Local slow-moving air masses with whirling motion closer to the study area irrespective of the direction,and air parcels coming through Bay of Bengal branch are characterized by depleted isotopic rainfall compared to air masses originating from the Arabian Sea.展开更多
文摘Social psychology of people affected by hazards is different from normal psychology. For example, severe bank erosion in the lower reach of the Bhagirathi River in West Bengal has resulted in significant land loss （-60% of all households lost land over last 20 years） and affected the livelihoods of the people in the study villages along the river. Per capita income has almost halved from 1970-2012 due to land loss. This stark nature of land erosion and vulnerability of livelihood has had far-reaching repercussions on the fabric of society and the psychology of the people in this region. Results showed that erosion-affected villages have registered compara- tively larger average family sizes （-4.1 as compared to -3.9 in non-affected villages）, lower literacy levels （〈 50% compared to 〉 65% for the non-affected villages）, and poor health. Reports of poor health as a result of land erosion include -60% of the respondents having reported physical ailments such as headache and abdominal discomfort, as well as 3%-5% reporting loss of emotional and psychological balance. Villages suffering from erosion showed higher positive loadings in average-coefficient of variation （CV） differential （25%-40%） depicting objectivity in their opinions for select variables of social processes. Principal component analysis （PCA） por- trayed maximum eigenvalues in the first principal component for interpersonal processes （-98%） and a minimum for intergroup proc- esses （-80%）. Categorical principal component analysis （CATPCA） depicted a cluster between interpersonal and intergroup processes and another between intra-individual and group categories. The positive loadings in female-male differences in CV of perceptions portrayed relative consistency of males over the females concerning fear/phobia and physical stress while negative loadings exhibited higher consistency for females regarding psychological stress and shock. Lastly, the Taj fel matrix portrayed a distinction between hazard psychology characterized by maximum joint profit as found in Rukunpur, and normal psychology characterized by in-group favoritism as found in Matiari.
文摘The Himalayan mountain range is an internationally recognised landscape but one under increasing developmental threat. The lower Himalayan region possesses immense potential for hydropower generation but is also highly susceptible to tectonic deformation and mass wasting, especially landslides. Susceptibility to landslides increases markedly with human activity, especially large scale developmental projects. The impacts of massive hydropower plant construction in the Bhagirathi Valley, Uttarkhand, India on the generation of landslides are the focus of this study. Whilst many positive impacts derive from such projects, devastating negative impacts also accrue. The frequency and characteristics of land sliding within the sphere of influence of the construction sites of the various hydropower plant components were investigated. Landslide frequency was related to parameters of geology, prior land use, drainage density, slope steepness and location in terms of construction aspect. Landslide frequency was found to be greatest in gneissic terrain as well as on previously agricultural and forested lands. Statistical analysis revealed significant relationships between landslide frequency with slope and, frequency with construction aspect, especially the construction of access roads. As with other studies, road construction is the key initiator of land sliding due to slope over steepening and the indiscriminate dumping of debris. The study concludes with recommendations for reducing the frequency and magnitude of mass wasting in this environment.
基金the project entitled“Finger printing of glacial melt water in the Ganga basin-implications for modelling of hydrological cycle in a Himalayan River system”grant number NO.SR/DGH-46/2012 which supported work for this paper。
文摘Identifying the various components contributing to river discharge can be challenging.This study relies on stable isotopes and electrical conductivity(EC)of water as tracers to distinguish the different components contributing to total river discharge.Additionally,we have made an effort to comprehend the processes that may influence glacier ice melt as well as the limits of oxygen-based hydrograph separation.Two distinct geographic domains in terms of climates and topographies were examined.The first study site represents the upper Ganga catchment(central Himalaya),while the second site is located in the Chandra sub-basin in western Himalaya.Errors in estimating the proportion of glacier melt in isotope mixing model are likely if end-member isotopic compositions,are not well defined,particularly for rainfall.Hydrograph separation results indicate that snowmelt is the largest contributor to total river flow in both regions.The contribution of snowmelt to the total runoff of the upper Ganga ranged from~60%to 70%.The estimated contributions of glacier melt varied from 36%to 63%in upper Ganga headwater to 6%to 15%at Devprayag and~8%at Rishikesh.In the Hamtah River,glacier and snowmelt contributions,quantified using a two-component mixing model,ranged from 10%to 14%during the pre-and postmonsoon seasons of 2013.The significant spatial and temporal variability,coupled with overlapping isotopic signatures,suggests complex glacio-fluvial interactions in these catchments.Local slow-moving air masses with whirling motion closer to the study area irrespective of the direction,and air parcels coming through Bay of Bengal branch are characterized by depleted isotopic rainfall compared to air masses originating from the Arabian Sea.
