Quantifying Soil Erosion and Identifying Sites for Conservation Measures Using Geospatial Technology in Tilga Watershed, Odisha, India

Soil erosion is one of the major causes of land degradation and is an environmental problem especially in the developing countries. Assessment of soil erosion accurately, and identification of the sensitive regions are among the prior needs for effective management of soil and water resources. This study was conducted for planning and management of soil and water resources in Tilga watershed of Brahmani River basin in India by geospatial approach integrating geographic information system and remote sensing. A spatial soil loss map of the study area was created using the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) model by considering factors such as topography, land use/land cover, rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, and conservation measures. The results revealed that the average annual soil loss from the watershed was 8.96 t ha-1, with the maximum value of 12,647 t ha-1. This resulted in a total annual soil loss of 3.514 million tons from the entire area of the watershed. In addition, a suitability map was developed by weighted overlay analysis, which identified the suitable locations for implementing soil and water conservation structures. Furthermore, a runoff map developed in Google Earth Engine using soil conservation service - curve number method identified optimum sites for construction of water harvesting structures such as check dams, farm ponds, percolation tanks, and nala bunds. This study offered useful insights and a practical framework for guiding sustainable natural resource management interventions in the watershed.