Estimating water erosion in the EL-Mador Valley Basin, South-West Matrouh City, Egypt, using revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) model through GIS

Abstract

Water erosion is among the largest and most crucial problems with soil loss and that is through land degradation in semi-arid regions and the North African areas are especially vulnerable to it. In addition, the EL-Mador Valley Basin is exposed to soil degradation due to climate and topographic properties as well as a human activity. In this scope, the aim of this study is to perform an evaluation of soil degradation hazards in the El-Mador Valley Basin by employing the equation RUSLE and the data of RS within a frame GIS. Furthermore, various raster layers have been designed to RUSLE parameters, such (R), (K), (LS), (C), and (P), and these inputs were merged into a GIS-based framework for measuring the degree of soil degradation. The results demonstrate the ranged values from 0 to > 2500 ton ha–1 year–1, with a geographical average of 54.80 ton ha–1 year–1. In addition, a soil erosion hazard map was created which was divided into five hazard categories: Low (56.56%), Moderate (13.88%), High (8.09%), Severe (8.82%), and Extreme (12.65%). Moreover, these results will be important to create mitigation strategies for regions where the soil loss is high, severe, and extreme, and also to assisting the local administration in setting priorities and basis for decision-makers to create suitable actions to decrease soil erosion hazards.