Multitemporal Analysis of Riverbank Areas in the Central

Peruvian Andes

C Alvarez-Montalvan1, E Belito-Humani2,3, R Caballero-Salas2, E Vila-Villegas2, J.M.

Alomia-Lucero2, C Parra-Vasquez2
1
Universidad Continental, San Carlos Avenue, Huancayo, Av San Carlos 1980, Huancayo
12000, Junín, Peru.
2
Universidad Nacional Del Centro Del Perú, Huancayo, Av. Mariscal Castilla 3909,
Huancayo 12006, Junín, Peru.
3
Asociacion Jobs and Shannon – IHC. Av. Centauro, Huancayo 12006, Junín, Peru.
ceam4492@gmail.com

Abstract. Riverbank areas are ecosystems dependent on watercourses or bodies of

water with a variable matrix of vegetation, immersed in hydrographic basins. These
zones fulfill essential functions for the preservation of ecosystems and their
territorial relationships, which supply goods and services for biota and human well-
being. On the other hand, riverbank erosion is an intrinsic and dynamic process of
any alluvial river in which riverbanks become meandering and loosen on their
developmental path to the mature stage. The dynamics of the riverside areas is
highly complex, since different factors influence the decline of these areas, the most
important being the increase in urbanization, the increase in agricultural areas, the
intervention of livestock, among others. The state must play a primary role in the
restoration and protection of the riparian areas, since there is a 2.58% decline in the
riparian area in the province of Huancayo, given the importance of the ecosystem
services that they provide to society. Therefore, specific standards for restoration of
the edges of aquatic systems must be established, mainly in streams and rivers.
Although there is a slight increase in the riverbank in one of the rivers of the
Huancayo province due to climatic factors, this continues the same behavior in later
years, so that in 35 years around 53.53 hectares of riverbank areas were lost, which
indicates that in the next few years you are completely devastated.

1 Introduction

The emergence of environmental issues and urban sustainability has highlighted new
topics of debate: improvement of water quality, rehabilitation of the coastline and
regeneration of river banks; the restoration and (re)naturalization of rivers and streams;
the quality of the urban landscape; the improvement of the current state of the rivers and
their surroundings through a general valuation of the ecological, social, economic and
aesthetic properties. This type of concern is also related to the dynamics of transformation
of land use in the marginal areas of rivers, which are valued by people today, and also to
improve the aesthetics and environmental quality of public spaces that have clear effects
on tourism and, therefore, on the economic development of cities [1]. Rivers have
immense benefits for the environment and the community. They become one of the water
resources for the community and an option for the community recreation area. Rivers also
provide habitat and balance the ecosystem for the environment. Many rivers are currently
being neglected by the community because their water becomes polluted and unusable
[2] .
However, the water supply in an increasing number of rural and peri-urban
communities can be described as marginal, that is, subject to failure, unaffordable or
increasingly difficult to access. A variety of common factors contribute to water
marginalization or access bias. This results in people, often with very limited resources,
having to fetch water from great distances or having to pay someone to carry water for
them to meet their basic water needs. Thus, where water supplies are unreliable,
unaffordable, and difficult to access, geography, urban settlement patterns, choice of
water distribution systems, and management capacity result in water marginality. [3].
Riverbank areas are ecosystems dependent on watercourses or bodies of water with a
variable matrix of vegetation, immersed in hydrographic basins. On the other hand,
riverbank erosion is an intrinsic and dynamic process of any alluvial river in which
riverbanks become meandering and loosen on their way of development towards the
mature stage.[4]. These zones fulfill essential functions for the preservation of ecosystems
and their territorial relationships, influencing the landscape in terms of wealth and natural
beauty, while providing goods and services for biota and human well-being. Therefore, in
any territorial unit, it is necessary to determine the quality and importance of riparian
ecosystems, since they constitute a source of economic resources and ecosystem services.
However, the evaluation of the state of conservation of these systems implies gathering
those aspects that allow the execution of activities under current environmental
regulations, guaranteeing the protection of these systems in a long-term perspective [5].
The objective of this article was to analyze the riparian zones in the Huancayo province in
the Junin - Peru region, considering the current legislation, with the aim of providing
background information on their conservation and management.

2 Materials and Methods

2.1 Study Area Description

The territorial surface of the province is 3,558.1 km2, of which Huancayo as the capital
district has 237.55 km2, likewise, the district with the largest territorial surface is Santo
Domingo de Acobamba with 778.02 km2, followed by Chongos Alto with 701.75 km2
and the The district of Viques with a smaller territorial area is 3.57Km2. The districts of
the province of Huancayo belong to the natural regions of Yunga and Quechua, varying
their altitude from 2,070 m.a.s.l. up to 3,770 m.a.s.l (see fig. 1).
Huancayo is distributed in the following zones: the eastern zone and the southwestern
zone of the province are considered rural zones (Pariahuanca, Santo Domingo de
Acobamba, Colca, Chicche, Chongos Alto, Carhuacallanga, Chacapampa and
Huasicancha). The Metropolitan area represented by El Tambo, Huancayo, Chilca,
Pilcomayo; the southern geographical zone (Huacan, Huayucachi, Viques, Huacrapuquio,
Pucará, Sapallanga, Chupuro, Cullhuas); the northern geographical zone (Hualhuas, San
Agustín de Cajas, San Jerónimo de Tunan, Quilcas, Ingenio, San Pedro de Saño,
Quichuay and Sicaya); The Eastern geographic zone (Santo Domingo de Acobamba,
Pariahuanca) and finally, the Southwestern geographical zone (Colca, Chicche, Chongos
Alto, Carhuacallanga, Chacapampa, Huasicancha).
The Population by large age groups According to the INEI 2017 Censuses, it details the
population by large age groups in which the population with the largest number is that of
the range of 15 years to 29 years with 147,327 inhabitants; followed by the range of 30 to
44 years with 114,191 inhabitants; the range from 45 to 64 years with 97,612 inhabitants;
the range from 6 to 14 years with 87,159 inhabitants and the range from 65 to 14 years
with 45,914 inhabitants at the provincial level [6].

Fig. 1. Study area map

2.2 Management Data Method

The collection of satellite images was carried out through the USGS (United States
Geological Survey) platform of the United States Space Agency, the download was given
as follows .
• The images corresponding to the years 1985 to 2011 were downloaded from
Landsat Collection 1, Level 1, Landsat 4-5 TMC1 Level 1 (see table 1).
• The images corresponding to the years 2013 – 2020 were downloaded from
Landsat Collection 1 Level 1, Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS C1 Level – 1 (see table 2).

Table 1. Data from Landsat 4-5 images from 1985 to 2011, exact date of acquisition and
percentage of cloudiness

LANDSAT IMAGE DATE PATH ROW CLOUD

Landsat 4-5 TM C1 Level - 15/08/1985 6 68 3%
1
Landsat 4-5 TM C1 Level - 15/08/1985 6 69 3%
1
Landsat 4-5 TM C1 Level - 13/08/1990 6 68 6%
1
Landsat 4-5 TM C1 Level - 13/08/1990 6 69 2%
1
Landsat 4-5 TM C1 Level - 26/07/1995 6 68 5%
1
Landsat 4-5 TM C1 Level - 26/07/1995 6 69 1%
1
Landsat 4-5 TM C1 Level - 21/06/2000 6 68 35%
1
Landsat 4-5 TM C1 Level - 21/06/2000 6 69 5%
1
Landsat 4-5 TM C1 Level - 3/06/2005 6 68 14%
1
Table Landsat 4-5 TM C1 Level - 3/06/2005 6 69 1% 2.
1
Landsat 4-5 TM C1 Level - 17/06/2010 6 68 15%
1
Landsat 4-5 TM C1 Level - 17/06/2010 6 69 2%
1
Landsat 8 images from 2013 to 2020, exact date of collection and percentage of cloudiness
LANDSTA IMAGE DATE PATH ROW CLOUD
Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS C1 Level -1 02/08/2015 6 68 12%
Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS C1 Level -1 02/08/2015 6 69 3%
Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS C1 Level -1 27/05/2020 6 68 1%
Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS C1 Level -1 27/05/2020 6 69 1%

Processing of Landsat Images. Atmospheric correction. The conversion from radiance to

reflectance is carried out in which we can say the reflectance calculation of the sensor,
this calculation will allow to apply another technique of the part of the solar irradiation
that is reached on the terrestrial surface that reflects the atmosphere[7].

• Band Combination of LANDSAT Images. When it comes to matching, the most

suitable band selection depends on the type of sensor used and the project application.
Among the most common combinations we have: for Landsat 4-5 red band, 3 for the
green band and 2 for the blue band Landsat 8 the combination was 6 for the red band,
4 for the green band and 4 for the blue band [8].

• NDII (Normalized Difference Infrared Index). The Normalized Difference Infrared

Index is a very strong indicator of moisture storage deficit, a crucial component of
hydrological models, and NDII is a reliable indicator of the temporal and spatial
distribution of drought conditions.[8].

2.3 Statistical Analysis

To generate the statistical analysis, matrices were prepared for each River and the total
(the years and the corresponding marginal area). This allows us to work with the data in
time series by applying a simple linear regression. We applied the R statistic software to
submit the statistical calculations that allowed a more objective interpretation.

3 Results and Discussion

Fig. 2 shows the study area in the year 1985, where urban coverage is observed in the
northeast area, mainly on the Shullcas river, which mainly covers the districts of
Huancayo and Tambo. The cover with little vegetation represents especially grazing and
agricultural areas, this category is significant since it represents the main economic
activities in the Mantaro Valley of those times. Finally, the coverage with vegetation is
not relevant, this type of area is basically restricted by agriculture and livestock.
Fig. 2. Map of 1985 from the study area
 Fig. 3. Map of 2020 from the study area

Fig. 3 shows a greater relevance of urban coverage, this translates into a greater load on
the Shullcas, Chaclas, Mantaro, Ranra and Chia rivers; This is probably one of the main
causes for the reduction of riverside areas. On the other hand, there is also a reduction in
areas with little vegetation and an increase in areas with more vegetation, this is probably
due to the urbanization process. of the agricultural zones, where fences are established and
reforestation increase in some zones previously destined to grazing.
 Table 3. Riverbank area per year and river type
Number River Year
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
1 MANTARO 265.35 243.59
271.065 259.401 256.354 254.723 240.223 227.534
7 5
2 CHIA 9.334 8.652 8.215 7.285 7.164 6.145 6.016 5.864
3 RANRA 3.675 3.131 2.964 2.77 2.68 2.422 2.087 1.862
4 SHULLCAS 6.586 6.001 5.869 6.311 6.115 5.551 5.392 4.964
5 CHACLAS 5.778 5.361 5.115 4.543 4.214 3.981 3.738 2.684

Table 3 shows the areas of the banks of the main rivers in 1985, Chia, Ranra, Mantaro,
Shullcas and Chaclas, with an extension of 296,438 hectares, the Mantaro river being the
most important with 271,065 hectares. followed by Chia, Shullcas, Chaclas and Ranra.
Also, the areas of the banks of the main rivers in the year 2020, Chia, Ranra, Mantaro,
Shullcas and Chaclas, are shown, with an extension of 242,908 hectares, the Mantaro river
being the most important with 227,534 hectares. followed by Chia, Shullcas, Chaclas and
Ranra
The areas of the river banks continue a continuous decrease, with the Mantaro river
being the one that decreased the most, losing around 43,531 hectares in 35 years followed
by the Chia River, Chaclas Ranra, and Shullcas with 3.47, 3,094, 1,813, 1,622 hectares. of
loss respectively. The average difference in the riverbank area between the years is 1,529
hectares, which represents a 2.58% annual decline compared to the initial area.
Urbanization is the engine of change in land use and loss of ecosystems and
biodiversity. These wetland loss rates range from -0.50 to 4.63% due to increased
urbanization and the impact of agricultural production programs. In turn, they recorded
that in the last 40 years peri-urban development caused the loss of 289 hectares of
wetlands, so it can be established that the loss of riverside areas is due to urban growth
and also to the increase in agricultural areas [9].
Other pressures detected were the interruption of the natural course of the river,
defenses on both banks and occupation of the marginal bank for the development of
agricultural activities and dispersed human settlements, the percentage of occupied area is
13.92% (7.04 ha) by production agricultural and 0.24% due to urbanization, this type of
activity puts pressure on stability and increases the frequency of sediments and aquatic
macrophytes and facilitates the entry of pollutants from bodies of wáter [10].
 There is also the impact of livestock in the riparian zones, which increases soil
compaction, reducing infiltration, degrading the banks of watercourses and lowering
groundwater levels. [5]. The analysis of the integration of city and river is inseparable, so
the integration of the city-river system must take place at a national, regional and local
scale, the flow of the river seems closely related to the width of the river. The presence of
river crossings is essential to ensure connectivity between banks with great influence on
the level of integration of the city structure.[1].

Fig. 4. Linear regression analisis in time series applied to rivers from Huancayo province

The correlation between the riverside areas and the years is negative (see fig. 4),
probably due to climate change and urban expansion; however, this negative relationship
may vary for some rivers that may be prone to flooding and thereby expand the areas. The
figure shows a high correlation between the variables River Bank area and years, with the
exception of the Shullcas river. It does not show a high correlation of its variables, which
is understood as the greater amount of precipitation in this area according to what was
recorded by Baldoceda, who recorded an increase in flow during the years 1996, 1997,
1998, 1999 and 2000 due to the greater amount of rainfall in this area of the Sullcas river,
being 2708.20 l/s registered in the month of December of the year 1997 [11]. As it is
shown in Table 4, Mantaro River has the greatest lost rate with -1.141 ha per year,
followed by Chia River with -0.104 ha per year. The reason of this could be the increase
of urban areas in important parts of these rivers, especially rural areas that change into
urban (e.g. farming communities). Otherwise, Shullcas and Ranra river shown the lowest
rate of losing areas with – 0.037 and – 0.0467 respectably. This may be caused by
increasing of stream or floods in farmland or grassland.

Table 4. Linear regression estimated coefficients and reliability indexes (Coefficients Significance
level and Multiple R-squared)
Estimate Coefficients
Multiple R-
River Significance
Intercept Parameter squared
level
Total bank area 3094.765 -1.409 0.001 0.9662
Shullcas 79.984 -0.037 0.001 0.745
Ranra 96.277 -0.0467 0.001 0.9689
Chia 216.171 -0.104 0.001 0.9689
Chaclas 164.169 -0.079 0.001 0.9626
Mantaro 2538.163 -1.141 0.001 0.9566

4 Conclusions

The dynamics of the riverside areas is highly complex, since different factors influence
the decline of these areas, the most important being the increase in urbanization, the
increase in agricultural areas, the intervention of livestock, among others.
The state must play a primary role in the restoration and protection of the riparian
areas, since there is a 2.58% decline in the riparian area in the province of Huancayo,
given the importance of the ecosystem services that they provide to society. Therefore,
specific standards for restoration of the edges of aquatic systems must be established,
mainly in streams and rivers.
Although there is a slight increase in the riverbank in one of the rivers of the Huancayo
province due to climatic factors, this continues the same behavior in later years, so that in
35 years around 53.53 hectares of riverbank areas were lost, which indicates that in the
next few years you are completely devastated.
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