Dr. Rama Chandra Pillutla and Firose Sulaiman, an intern from Department of Remote Sensing, Bharathidasan University Tiruchirappalli published a paper on Island lens approach to historical landscape characterization of the Nicobar Islands using remote sensing in  GeoJournal. Here is the summary of the paper as explained by the authors: 

Landscapes are shaped by both natural and cultural factors, influencing their management. In the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, rapid land-use changes from tsunamis and human activities threaten both ecological integrity and local communities. While the Andaman Islands have been extensively studied, research on the Nicobar Islands remains limited, prompting this investigation of historical land-use and land-cover changes using geospatial data. Multi-temporal satellite imagery revealed significant changes across selected Nicobar Islands. Trinket Island, heavily impacted by the 2004 tsunami, experienced considerable forest loss, mudflat formation, and fluctuations in grassland and water body areas. Katchal Island saw major forest declines from the tsunami and human activity, with partial recovery hindered by ongoing seawater intrusion and erosion. Camorta Island experienced reduced forest and grassland areas post-tsunami, followed by gradual forest recovery and water body expansion. Nancowry Island, though minimally affected initially, later faced significant forest loss due to seawater intrusion, followed by recovery and settlement growth. Car Nicobar Island suffered severe forest loss from the tsunami but has seen partial vegetation recovery alongside settlement expansion. Additionally, the Nicobar Islands’ tropical grasslands, crucial for biodiversity and local livelihoods, are under threat from environmental changes and proposed oil palm plantations, which could lead to further ecological disruption and cultural impacts.

Full paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10708-025-11433-2 

July 2025