Assessment of shoreline changes over the Northern Tamil Nadu Coast, South India using WebGIS techniques

Coastal zone is often vulnerable to natural hazards such as cyclones, storm surges, tsunamis, erosion, accretion, and coastal flooding; and man-made hazards like ports, jetties, seawalls, breakwaters, and groins. These disasters are frequently affecting the shorelines, beaches, and headlands that lead to loss of human life, properties, and natural ecosystems. To prevent further loss in the coastal zone and to conserve the existing natural resources, it is important to map and monitor vulnerable shorelines at frequent time intervals. The current study, conducted over the Northern TN (Tamil Nadu) coast of India, is highly dynamic due to its nature of coast and shoreline changes. The temporal remote sensing data and Survey of India (SOI) topographic maps over the period of 40 years (i.e., 1976–2016) were used to capture shorelines and then the erosion and accretion from the shorelines were assessed by performing the overlay analysis. These geospatial datasets of shorelines were incorporated into WebGIS platform, which was developed and demonstrated using open source software. This latest WebGIS technology allows users to store a large volume of geospatial datasets in the server and access through internet with a web browser that lead to manipulation, visualization, interaction, and dissemination. The results revealed that there were 61 layers, which include district-wise shorelines, erosion, and accretion for Tiruvallur, Chennai, and Kanchipuram. These geospatial datasets in WebGIS showed that the dynamism on the morphological structure of the shorelines, over the Northern TN lost 1,925 ha and gained 1,578 ha due to erosion and accretion, respectively. It is reported that in this study spatial reduction in the coastline may be attributed to natural and anthropogenic activities. However, this research will be useful for various stakeholders, including coastal management authorities to formulate policies and to regulate the coastal development activities.