Impact of Land cover changes on a Tropical Cyclone-Induced Storm surge and Extent of Inundation over the east coast of India using a Coupled Hydrodynamic Model

Coupled hydrodynamic models are widely used to predict storm surges and the extent of inundation along coastal regions for improved coastal management and vulnerability assessment. Land use and land cover (LULC) are important in storm surges and related coastal inundation as they impact the water flow velocity. The interaction between storm surges and land use and land cover (LULC) distribution along the coast is essential in assessing the extent of coastal inundation and substantially affects coastal resilience and vulnerability. In the present study, the LULC distribution along the coast has been incorporated in a coupled hydrodynamic model (ADCIRC+SWAN) to assess the impact of the super cyclonic storm Amphan, which devastated the Sundarbans area of the West Bengal coast. Significant changes in the extent of coastal inundation have been noticed by considering land cover changes. In addition to land cover changes, numerical experiments have been conducted by including climate change projections to enhance the cyclonic wind velocity by 7%, which is in line with IPCC reports. Analysis indicates that changing LULC and increased wind intensity significantly contribute to a 30% increase in coastal flooding. The research shows the necessity for efficient land management and conservation initiatives to improve coastal resilience in climate shifts.