Shoreline changes over last five decades and predictions for 2030 and 2040: a case study from Cuddalore, southeast coast of India

We estimated shoreline changes over the last five decades in a part of the southeast coast of India at Cuddalore by using multitemporal satellite images from six different time-windows (i.e. 1972, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020) and the digital shoreline analysis system tool (DSAS 5.0). The linear regression rate and end point rate quantified the maximum erosion at rates of 6.8–7.2 m/year and the maximum accretion at rates of 3.9–4.2 m/year at different sites along the 42 km stretch that was affected by several disasters in the recent past and has a substantial industrial presence. The net shoreline movement analysis identified the sites that experienced about 340 m of erosion and about 203 m of accretion. The Kalman filter model predicted up to 274 m of the shoreline erosion at Chinna vaaikaal until 2040. Similarly, the shoreline at Puthupettai could be accreted up to 538 m over the same interval. The outcome of this research demonstrates that studies similar to ours should be carried out in different parts along the vast Indian coastline to understand the shoreline evolution in order to prepare a better coastal management strategy.