Remotely sensed applications in monitoring the spatio-temporal dynamics of pools and flows along non-perennial rivers: A review

Abstract

Non-perennial rivers (NPRs) account for more than 50% of the world’s river network and their occurrence is expanding. Some rivers that were previously classified as perennial have evolved to be NPRs in response to climate change and socio-economic uses. There is inadequate understanding of the spatio-temporal dynamics of flows and pools along these rivers due to lack of data, as a priority of river monitoring has been placed on perennial rivers. The current understanding and methods used for monitoring NPRs are mostly derived from perennial rivers perspective. This review paper examines challenges for collecting data on these hydrological attributes of NPRs using current methods. Furthermore, this paper provides an overview of the potential and limitations of using remote sensing data for monitoring NPRs.