Identifying Potential Erosion-Prone Areas in the Indian Himalayan Region Using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE)

Abstract

Soil erosion is one of the most critical environmental issues with severe consequences. Hence, it continues to be a significant limitation in the progress of many developing countries. Prediction and assessment of soil loss are, therefore, of utmost importance for soil fertility conservation, land and water management. Recent technological advances have provided useful models through which remotely-sensed data for a large scale area can be analysed and interpreted. The present study adopts a physiographically, biologically and climatically unique model for the assessment of soil erosion in the Indian Himalayan Region. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation model was applied in conjunction with Geographic Information System to estimate the average annual rate of soil erosion at both state and district levels in India. The model was deployed using coarse resolution datasets to identify specific areas vulnerable to soil erosion. In determining the spatial distribution of average annual soil erosion within the study region, all cell-based parameters of the model were multiplied in the specified 500 m × 500 m spatial resolution. The spatial pattern of annual soil erosion indicates that maximum soil loss occurs in northern and eastern states whereas low rates of erosion is observed in the eastern-most part of the study area.