Statistical Assessment of Long-term Shoreline Changes along the Odisha Coast

Odisha, a coastal state on eastern seaboard of India possesses a similar to 450 km long coastline vulnerable to a multitude of natural and anthropogenic threats. The present study reports a systematic assessment of rates of shoreline change over a period of 25 years from 1990-2015, using Landsat 5 and 8 series of (Thematic Mapper and Operational Land Imager) satellite images. An analysis of rate of shoreline change was carried out along select regions of Odisha coast using Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS). Linear Regression Method (LRR) was used to estimate net shoreline change at sub decade time scale and End Point Rate (EPR) to estimate net shoreline change rate in between two consecutive years. The highest erosion with a coastline length of 63 km was observed between Rajnagar (around Satabhaya beach) and Mahakalapara (near to Hukitola beach) block of Kendrapara district and between Ersama (around Paradeep port) and Balikuda blocks (northern parts of Devi River mouth) of Jagatsinghpur coastal district. The result suggest that both EPR and LRR techniques were used to estimate shoreline change rate and the similar result of erosion by both EPR and LRR technique indicated weaker cyclic trend in erosion.