Geospatial Appraisal of Gully Erosion Vulnerability in the Rarh Bengal of India through Analyzing the Multiple Discriminating Factors

This study aims to determine the degree and vulnerability of gully erosion and related soil erosion in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, India. Composite maps of gully erosion susceptibility were created using sophisticated geospatial methods and remotely sensed satellite data. The normalized indicator values were obtained using factor analysis of the 2001 data. Gully erosion during the monsoon season was the main cause of the considerable loss of lateritic soil cover in the Rampurhat-I and Bolpur-Santiniketan blocks, according to the analysis, which also showed a strong relationship between soil erosivity and other influencing factors. Gully erosion impacted 69.81 square kilometers (20.59%) of Bolpur-Santiniketan, primarily in the southeast and northwest, and 68.97 square kilometers (23.45%) of Rampurhat-I, primarily in the southwest and northwest. The topographic wetness index showed the most variability, accounting for 77% and 74% of the erosion variance, respectively, with seven major components. The Rampurhat-I and Bolpur-Santiniketan susceptibility indices ranged from 0.833 to -0.772 and 0.756 to -1.060, respectively. Significant agricultural land loss (from 165.54 to 128.44 square kilometers) in Rampurhat-I and the existence of 26.98 square km of badlands in Bolpur-Santiniketan were also noted by the study, even though places like Ballavpur still had deep forest cover. Land use, land cover, and landholding sizes have all been greatly impacted by the rising rate of soil erosion, particularly in places prone to gullies. Finding hotspots for gully erosion, charting its severity, and making accurate predictions can help guide initiatives to reduce soil loss and degradation, promoting environmentally friendly farming methods and sustainable land management in the area.