Effect of Reduced Anthropogenic Activities on Water Quality in Lake Vembanad, India

The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal Life Below Water (SDG-14) aims to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, marine resources for sustainable development”. Within SDG-14, targets 14.1 14.2 deal with pollution adverse impacts of human activities on aquatic systems. Here, we present a remote-sensing-based analysis short-term changes in Vembanad-Kol wetland system southwest India. region has experienced high levels anthropogenic pressures, including from agriculture, industry, tourism, leading ecological socioeconomic consequences not only achieving set out but also those related water quality (SDG-6) health (SDG-3). To move towards management coastal ecosystems such as Lake Vembanad, it is important understand how both natural processes affect quality. In 2020, unique opportunity arose study Vembanad during period when pressures were reduced due nationwide lockdown response global pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 (25 March–31 May 2020). Using Sentinel-2 Landsat-8 multi-spectral remote sensing situ observations analyse five different indicators, show that improved large areas especially more central southern regions, evidenced decrease total suspended matter, turbidity, absorption coloured dissolved organic all clearer waters indicated Forel-Ule classification colour. Further longer term trends (2013–2020) showed been improving over time northern regions independent lockdown. improvement April–May 2020 illustrates importance addressing resources.