Soil erosion vulnerability and soil loss estimation for Siran River watershed, Pakistan: an integrated GIS and remote sensing approach.

Autor: Mehwish M; Department of Geography, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan., Nasir MJ; Department of Geography, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan., Raziq A; Department of Geography, Islamia College Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan., Al-Quraishi AMF; Petroleum and Mining Engineering Department, Tishk International University, Erbil, 44001, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. ayad.alquraishi@tiu.edu.iq., Ghaib FA; Petroleum and Mining Engineering Department, Tishk International University, Erbil, 44001, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Environmental monitoring and assessment [Environ Monit Assess] 2023 Dec 30; Vol. 196 (1), pp. 104. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Dec 30.
DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-12262-x
Abstrakt: Soil erosion is a problematic issue with detrimental effects on agriculture and water resources, particularly in countries like Pakistan that heavily rely on farming. The condition of major reservoirs, such as Tarbela, Mangla, and Warsak, is crucial for ensuring an adequate water supply for agriculture in Pakistan. The Kunhar and Siran rivers flow practically parallel, and the environment surrounding both rivers' basins is nearly identical. The Kunhar River is one of KP's dirtiest rivers that carries 0.1 million tons of suspended sediment to the Mangla reservoir. In contrast, the Siran River basin is largely unexplored. Therefore, this study focuses on the Siran River basin in the district of Manshera, Pakistan, aiming to assess annual soil loss and identify erosion-prone regions. Siran River average annual total soil loss million tons/year is 0.154. To achieve this, the researchers integrate Geographical Information System (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) data with the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model. Five key variables, rainfall, land use land cover (LULC), slope, soil types, and crop management, were examined to estimate the soil loss. The findings indicate diverse soil loss causes, and the basin's northern parts experience significant soil erosion. The study estimated that annual soil loss from the Siran River basin is 0.154 million tons with an average rate of 0.871 tons per hectare per year. RUSLE model combined with GIS/RS is an efficient technique for calculating soil loss and identifying erosion-prone areas. Stakeholders such as policymakers, farmers, and conservationists can utilize this information to target efforts and reduce soil loss in specific areas. Overall, the study's results have the potential to advance initiatives aimed at safeguarding the Siran River watershed and its vital resources. Protecting soil resources and ensuring adequate water supplies are crucial for sustainable agriculture and economic development in Pakistan.
(© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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