India, June 20 -- LUCKNOW A study by scientists at the CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) has exposed severe ecological degradation along the Gomti river, revealing that over a third of its riparian corridors are in urgent need of restoration. Driven by human activity and urbanisation, the riverbanks are suffering from declining tree cover, escalating soil erosion and the gradual disappearance of native flora.

To combat the degradation, the scientists deployed an Integrated Spatial Decision-Support Framework - a smart map-making system to zero in on which parts of the river require immediate attention. Using satellite images, the team measured various factors, including how green the land looked, how hot the ground was, wh...