National Geographical Journal of India

Estimation of soil erosion using RUSLE model and GIS approaches: A case study of Birbhum District, West Bengal, India

Sajal Ghosh, Debasis Das, Vibhash Chandra Jha — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A serious environmental problem, particularly in developing nations, is soil erosion, particularly gully erosion. It affects ecology, ecosystems, and water quality by decreasing soil productivity, underproduction, and water contamination. By taking into account both natural and man-made factors, the RUSLE model uses a database of precipitation, soil class, topography, vegetation cover, and conservation methods to accurately predict long-term annual soil erosion amounts. Birbhum district, the western section of Jharkhand state features a divided plateau with hard, impermeable Archean crystalline rocks and laterite Gondwana deposits. According to the RUSLE model, the Birbhum district soil erosion is classified as Around 20.04% of the region undergoes soil loss less than 20 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, around 27.03% of the region is eroded of 20-40 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, around 19.98% of the region suffers from severe erosion of 40-60 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, Approximately 11.76% of the land is extremely vulnerable to erosion of 60-80 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, more than 80 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ expresses extreme risk of erosion 21.17 % area.

Spatial disparity of primary health centres: A case study of Gadag district, Karnataka, India

Chetan Mallikarjun Patil, Veeramma Basayya Saviramath — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Understanding the spatial distribution of geographic features has become essential in physical planning and spatial decision-making. Healthcare centres provide necessary health services to people, especially to those living in rural areas who rely on public health centres for their health issues. Accessibility to the nearest health centre plays a crucial role in the status of public health. To ensure equitable access to healthcare services across all taluks in the Gadag district, the present study assesses the geographical distribution of primary health centres. Policymakers can use this information to prioritize resource allocation. Additionally, identifying underserved areas that may require additional health centres or outreach programs can bridge the gap in healthcare accessibility. The present study uses ArcGIS 10.8.2 to assess the geographical disparity between primary health centres in the Gadag district via location quotient as well as buffer analysis. Areas with a higher concentration of health centres and the unserved or underserved areas in the district have been identified by the buffer zones.

Socio-economic conditions of male out-migration workers in Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh: A geographical study

Sanjay Singh Yadav, Shailesh Kumar; Ram Sakal Yadava — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Male out-migration has become a crucial socio-economic phenomenon in major parts of India, particularly in undeveloped and economically stagnant areas such as Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur district. This research investigates the socioeconomic situations of male migrant workers who leave their rural homes in Mirzapur in pursuit of employment possibilities in cities throughout the country. The study is to investigate the core reasons, demographic profile, work status, living circumstances, and broader effects of migration on families left behind. Male out-migration from Mirzapur indicates underlying structural difficulties such as agrarian distress, a lack of local job opportunities, poverty, land fragmentation, and socio-cultural barriers that impede economic mobility in the region. Mirzapur district, which is primarily rural and agrarian, has long suffered from inadequate infrastructure development, low industrialization, and minimal non-farm employment. As a result, seasonal and long-term migration has emerged as a key source of income for a sizable proportion of men. The migrants are usually young to middle-aged, have minimal educational attainment, and come from socio- economically disadvantaged backgrounds such as Scheduled Castes (SC), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and minority communities. The bulk of these migrants work in the informal sector, such as construction workers, industrial laborers, rickshaw pullers, or in low-wage service sectors. Their working conditions are typically exploitative, with no job security, health benefits, or legal protection. Despite the difficult conditions, migration persists owing to the lack of suitable options in the home region. The present study tries to analyze the socio-economic status of these male out-migrant workers. The prime objective of the study is to examine the socio-economic condition and also the causes and consequences of male out-migration. The study is based on the primary sources of data. A total of 300 out-migrant workers family has been interviewed by using a well-structured questionnaire. The study confirms that although there is an improved income level, the living condition for most of the workers.

A comparative analysis of crime against women in the pre-and post-liquor ban periods across the districts of Bihar

Prince Kumar Keshav, Rohit Kumar, Shubham Kumar, Sarita Kumari, Gayatri Rai — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Crime against women (CAW) persists as an enduring and disconcerting societal issue, encompassing a range of physical, sexual, and emotional violence. Alcohol consumption is massively associated with crime. This study examines the CAW in, Bihar, by drawing official data from the National Crime Records Bureau. The data covers the period from 2011 to 2022, providing a robust foundation for assessing these crimes’ spatial and temporal patterns. Following a complete prohibition on liquor consumption in Bihar since 2016, including five distinct categories of CAW have been selected for comprehensive analysis: dowry death, cruelty by husband or relatives, kidnapping and abduction, rape and assault on women. Employing Geographical Information Systems and spatial analysis techniques, this research scrutinizes the geographical distribution of these crimes across diverse districts of Bihar. Through meticulous examination of data from 2011 to 2022, the study aims to identify spatial and temporal variations in these crimes across the pre- and post-liquor ban periods. Spatial autocorrelation analysis utilizing Moran’s I technique is employed to unveil clustering patterns associated with specific types of CAW. Furthermore, the Getis Ord Gi* technique is utilized to discern hotspot and coldspot patterns. Overall, the findings suggest that while the liquor ban has had partial success in reducing certain types of violent crimes against women, it is not a comprehensive solution to the broader problem of gender-based violence. The persistence of rising overall CAW and the heterogeneous effects across crime categories underscore the complexity of the issue. It demonstrates that behavioural regulations can influence certain categories of crime, particularly those closely linked to alcohol consumption. However, the persistence and evolution of other crimes against women emphasize that lasting change requires structural transformation beyond regulatory bans, involving sustained social reform, institutional strengthening, and targeted regional strategies.

Assessment of environmental changes applying GIS indexing technique and remote sensing data

Himanshu Shekher, Sushil Kumar Yadav, Kaushalendra Prakash Goswami — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Monitoring of environmental changes is a much-needed aspect today to know the pattern of changes and their degradation. Rapid population growth and urbanization are creating numerous environmental shifts over several years. The present study used remote sensing indexing techniques to assess and understand changes in the environmental aspect such as land, water and vegetation, etc. Land use change is an important indicator of environmental change. In this study, the Land surface temperature map shows the temperature change during the carry-over period. NDVI is also useful for studying vegetation analysis and NDWI is used for identifying the suitable water area of the Chandauli region. The NDBI indicate the built-up index and settlements of the study area. The result shows land use changes between 2000 and 2010 and 2019 through natural and artificial activations. Water bodies decreased in 2019 (2.1%) from 2000–2010 (3%). The highest cropped area indicates that in 2000 (53%) it declined in 2010 (28.6%) until the order of incision of fallow land (40%). The built index also shows the changes in urban and rural settlements in 2019 (13.5%) and in 2010 compression (1.6%).

A geographical analysis of women trafficking in India: Spatial distribution and socio-economic vulnerabilities

Akhil Kumar, Deeksha Singh, Suman Singh — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Women trafficking in India constitutes one of the gravest violations of human rights and functions simultaneously as a deeply embedded socio-spatial phenomenon with discernible geographical contours. This study adopts a geographical lens to investigate the socio-economic determinants of women trafficking across India's diverse regional, demographic, and ecological landscapes. Drawing upon secondary data sourced from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), the Census of India, and peer-reviewed scholarship, this research maps the spatial distribution of trafficking incidence, identifies high-vulnerability source and destination zones, and critically examines the structural socio-economic drivers — including poverty, gender inequality, illiteracy, unemployment, distress migration, and geographic marginality — that sustain trafficking networks. The findings reveal pronounced regional asymmetries: West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh emerge consistently as dominant source states, while metropolitan agglomerations such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai function as primary destination nodes. The study further establishes that flood-affected agrarian belts, and drought-exposed semi-arid zones exhibit heightened trafficking vulnerability, intersecting with chronic poverty, low female literacy, early marriage, and distress-induced circular migration.

Balancing nature and culture: Indigenous knowledge system for sustainable natural resource management in Northeast India

M Caroline, Seema Tiwari — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Indigenous knowledge (IK) has played a crucial role in natural resource management (NRM) in Northeast India. For centuries, indigenous communities have inhabited this region, fostering a profound relationship with the natural environment and cultivating IK that fosters conservation efforts and serves as a repository of traditional knowledge and practices. However, the transmission and preservation of IK face significant challenges amidst rapid socio-economic changes, environmental degradation, and loss of traditional livelihoods. Moreover, the marginalization of indigenous voices in policy-making processes exacerbates the risk of cultural erosion and undermines the efficacy of conservation initiatives. This study intends to document the indigenous knowledge systems and practices utilized by diverse indigenous communities across Northeast India such as traditional farming, sacred groves, traditional irrigation systems. Therefore, the paper aims to understand the different methods through which these communities have effectively preserved their natural resources and safeguarded delicate ecosystems amidst the challenges posed by climate change.

Significance of analysis of buoy data in tracking the tidal behaviour for future deltaic management: From Bay to Sundarbans

Jayanta Gour — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Tidal waves pay a complex role in shaping of the estuarine islands of Sundarbans in India and Bangladesh. Due to climate change and changing behaviour of the oceanic surface temperature and tidal bore range, the estuarine deltaic parts along the north of Bay of Bengal has been experiencing typical behaviour and magnitude of tidal erosion, transportation and deposition along the rivers like Hooghly, Muriganga, Saptamukhi, Thakuran, Matla, Gosaba, Hariabhanga and Ichhamati rivers with numerous short and intricated drainage network of criss-cross tidal creeks. The objective of this research is to find out the changing trend of air pressure impacting upon the decadal variation in bore tide range over northern apex of Bay of Bengal (BoB). The data has been obtained from IMD and MoES-NOAA OMNI-RAMA Joint data collected from buoys which is managed jointly by India's MoES/NIOT and NOAA. Statistical computation has been carried out by the author to validate the real-time oceanographic and atmospheric data to get the result. The research highlights on the significant relationship between the changing tidal bore range with changing air pressure since last two decades over BoB.

Gendered vulnerability and adaptive response to climatic variability and extreme events in India: Assessing differential impacts and building climate resilience

Anish Kumar Singh, Srabani Sanyal — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Climate change has intensified the frequency and severity of climatic variability and extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, cyclones, heatwaves, and erratic rainfall, posing significant challenges to sustainable development in India. While these hazards affect entire communities, their impacts are unevenly distributed across social groups, with gender emerging as a critical determinant of vulnerability and adaptive capacity. This study aims to assess the differential impacts of climatic variability and extreme events on women and men in India and examine the adaptive responses adopted at household and community levels. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research integrates household surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and secondary data analysis to evaluate gender-specific vulnerabilities, adaptive capacities, and resilience. The study also examines the effectiveness of existing climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction policies in addressing gender inequalities. The findings are expected to demonstrate that gender-responsive adaptation strategies, enhanced access to resources, inclusive governance, climate-smart livelihoods, and community participation significantly strengthen resilience to climate risks.