Assessment of Soil Erosion and Sediment Yield Using GIS-Based RUSLE Modeling- A Case Study of Musi Sub-Basin, Telangana, India

Abstract

Soil loss, also known as erosion, is an irreversible natural phenomenon that affects the topsoil of the Earth's surface. It reduces soil fertility, and water availability, and initiates geo-hazards, leading to negative environmental consequences. A research study was conducted in part of the Musi River sub-basin, a tributary of the Krishna River basin in India, which is undergoing a lot of changes due to anthropogenic factors. This study's primary goal is to evaluate the basin's soil erosion and sediment yield utilizing the RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) model, which is based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The CART (Classification and Regression Trees) Algorithm in the Google Earth Engine platform is utilized to form the LULC (Land Use Land Cover) map that is needed for the C factor estimation. The analysis reveals that the LULC map has a total accuracy of 89.6% and a kappa coefficient of 0.86. The analysis also shows that the research area is dominated by the agriculture class with 51.4%. The results reveal that 95.6 % of the research area has very lower soil erosion of 0-1 ton/ha/year, and 60.8% of the area is having low sediment yield of 0-1 ton/ha/yr. As the study area consists of major towns and cities, and the agriculture area is being converted to open plots (barren lands for developmental activities), erosion may increase in the future. The findings of this study may be used by managers and legislators to suggest soil conservation laws to expedite development projects.