A Geographic Information System Based Soil Erosion Assessment for Conservation Planning at West Hararghe, Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Soil erosion by water is a serious concern worldwide problem and it is difficult to assess its economic and environmental impacts accurately. West Hararghe zone is one of the most erosion-prone areas in the eastern highland of Ethiopia which little attention is given. The objectives of this study were to estimate the magnitude of soil loss rate, assess the change of erosion risk, and elucidate their implication for SWC planning in West Hararghe Zone, Eastern Ethiopia. Applying remote sensing data, the study first derived the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model parameters in an ArcGIS 10.3 environment and estimated the soil loss rates. This model was developed based on the integrated use of precipitation data, Landsat images in 2017, and 2018, terrain parameters (slope gradient/steepness and slope length), soil loss management practice and soil composition in west Harerge Zone, Oromia Regional state, Ethiopia. The estimated total soil loss in the Zone was 47,288,835.17 tons in 2017/18 with a mean erosion rate of 28.62 t ha⁻¹ yr ⁻¹. The study area was divided into six erosion risk classes ranging from low to high. About 27.70% (457,687.19 ha) of zone was classified under high to very high soil loss class while the remaining 72.30% (1,194,613.1314 ha) of the zone categorized under slow to moderate soil loss class.

Keywords: - GIS, RUSLE, Soil loss potential, West Harerge Zone, Ethiopia

DOI: 10.7176/CER/11-2-02

Publication date:March 31^st 2019