Overview
- Researchers K. Belho, M. S. Rawat and Pradeep Kumar Rawat monitored four Kohima-district watersheds using GIS with systematic field hydrology.
- The project produced continuous stream-discharge records across dense and open forests, agricultural areas and urban landscapes, filling a key regional data gap.
- Findings show intact forests absorb rainfall and sustain sub-surface flows in dry months, whereas urbanized terrain drives high monsoon runoff and lower lean-season flows.
- Authors introduced a four-zone runoff classification—low, moderate, high and very high—to guide water-resource planning, flood mitigation and integrated watershed management.
- The work, funded by a Nagaland University Non-NET Fellowship with Ministry of Tribal Affairs support and published in the International Journal of Geographic Information System Research and Development, includes a call for long-term monitoring sites across the Himalayas.