Socio-Ecological Resilience and Geomorphic Decay: A Study of Riparian Biodiversity and Anthropogenic Stress in the Pampa River Basin, Kerala, India

Journal of Climate Justice
An International Peer-Reviewed Journal in Environmental Science
Volume 1, Issue 1, 2026
Pages: 67–78
Online ISSN: 3139-8529

Authors: Asuthosh B S and Anju V Jalaj *
Affiliation: Department of Botany, St Thomas College, Kozhencherry, Kerala, India
E-mail of first author: asuthoshbotany12@gmail.com
Mobile: 8943714597

Email of corresponding author: anjuvjalaj@stthomascollege.info
Mobile: 9947497030

Received: 28th April 2026
Revised: 17th May 2026
Published: July 2026

Key words

Climate Justice, Pampa River, Bioengineering, Invasive Species, Fluvial Geomorphology, Nature-Based Solutions.

Abstract

The Pampa River, a vital hydrological artery of Kerala, is currently undergoing a transition from a stable fluvial system to a degraded “green desert.” This study evaluates three critical sites in the Elanthoor Block Panchayat of Pathanamthitta district in Keralam, India—Cherukolpuzha, Keezhukara, and Maramon—to assess the interrelatedness between geomorphic instability, sand mining, and invasive proliferation. Using transect sampling and community interviews, the research identifies twelve dominant plant species, none of which possess the structural root architecture required to mitigate bank failure. The study argues that climate-induced extremes, exacerbated by unregulated extraction, have created a crisis of climate injustice for riparian communities. Recommendations center on Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), specifically integrated bioengineering and a total extraction ban, to restore the river’s hydrological and social sovereignty.