Soil Erosion Assessment Using the RUSLE Model, Remote Sensing, and GIS in the Woybo Watershed, Ethiopia

Ethiopia, a country in the Horn of Africa, is noted for its diverse natural landscapes and rich agricultural legacy. However, it faces a significant challenge in the form of soil erosion and loss. The country’s pace of soil loss, particularly in the Woybo watershed, has been a major cause of concern due to its detrimental impact on food security, livelihoods, and long-term development. To construct the soil loss rate map in the Woybo watershed, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) was integrated with Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System. The RUSLE model was used to analyze soil erosion using rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, slope length and steepness, land cover and management, and conservation support practice. The calculated average soil loss rate from the watershed was 19.58 tons per hectare per year, resulting in a total annual erosion rate of 572,611.15 tons per year. Furthermore, nearly half of the watershed (47.78%) is affected by very slight to moderate and very severe (39.96%) soil loos. Furthermore, the western portion of the watershed is predominantly composed of brown soil, which is intrinsically more sensitive to the eroding force of rainfall droplets. The majority of the watershed’s eastern half is made up of red soils, which are significantly influenced by soil loss and erosion. Managers and policymakers can use the findings of this study to establish suitable conservation programs, ensuring that water and soil conservation measures are implemented quickly in the study watershed, in accordance with the priority watersheds’ ranking.