Assessing and mapping water erosion-prone areas in northeastern Algeria using analytic hierarchy process, USLE/RUSLE equation, GIS, and remote sensing

Abstract

Soil erosion by water is a crucial environmental problem in different Mediterranean countries, resulting from various factors, such as geological, geomorphological, hydro-climatic conditions, and human activities. The study aims at developing water erosion vulnerability map to identify areas at risk in northeastern Algeria (Wilaya of Tebessa) based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation model (USLE/RUSLE). Land use, lithology, slope, distance to stream network (DSN), and precipitation factors were combined to determine the soil erosion vulnerability using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) approach and geomatics-based techniques (geographic information system and remote sensing). In total, soil erosion vulnerability increases from south to north of the study area. Slight, moderate, high, and very high classes covered for 7.35%, 49.48%, 43.04%, and 0.14% of the whole area, respectively. Our findings stressed the high expansion of water erosion risk, in particular, north of the study area. Protection and maintenance of erosion-prone areas with high risk of soil erosion represent a real challenge for both scholars and policymakers.