Bandipora, Sep 4: Wular Lake’s surface area declined from 90.57 square kilometres in 1985 to 65.33 square kilometres in 2024, according to a new remote-sensing study that documents a sustained reduction in the lake’s extent over nearly four decades.
The study analysed satellite imagery from 1985, 2000, 2015 and 2024 using Normalized Difference Water Index and Support Vector Machine classification techniques.
The lake’s surface area declined to 76.62 square kilometres by 2000 and further to 69.77 square kilometres in 2015 before reaching 65.33 square kilometres in 2024.
The study also estimated a reduction in average water storage from 176 million cubic metres in 1985 to 65 million cubic metres in 2024.
The researchers associated the long-term changes with climate variability, reduced precipitation and human interventions, while also examining the role of urbanisation and water extraction.
Satellite-altimetry observations between 2016 and 2025 showed seasonal fluctuations in water levels, adding to concerns over long-term hydrological instability.
The researchers said the changes could affect the ecological stability of the lake and communities dependent on its resources.
They called for integrated water-resource management and continued monitoring of the lake through remote-sensing techniques. [KNT]
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