Assessment of soil erosion rate and hot spot areas using RUSLE and
Multi-Criteria Evaluation Technique: A Case Study at Jedeb Watershed
Abstract
Soil erosion is a difficult forceful practice by which useful surface
soil is removed, conveyed, and stored at a detached place causing in the
exposure of subsurface soil and siltation in reservoirs and natural
streams. The core objective of this study is to evaluate soil erosion
rate and to identify soil erosion hotspot areas using RUSLE and
Multi-criteria Analysis. Based on the RUSLE model the potential annual
soil loss of the watershed ranges from 0.0 to 706.7 ton/ha/yr and the
mean annual soil loss rate is 27.7 ton/ha/yr. From the total area of the
watershed (859.2 km2), 63 km2 are potential areas for gully expansion.
The overall analysis indicated that 4.8% of the total watershed is
highly sensitive; 54.24% is moderately sensitive; 17.69% is marginally
sensitive while, 23.28% is currently not sensitive and the remaining
0.06% was a constraint to erosion. Hence, the Area which is categorized
under a highly and moderately sensitive class needs direct mediation for
better conservation planning by allowing for known priority classes and
hotspot areas.