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<p>The west coast of India faces soil erosion and water scarcity problems due to inadequate watershed management. While morphometric and hypsometric analyses are widely employed for erosion assessment, integrated studies combining these with soil loss modeling remain limited in tropical river basins of India. The present study addresses this gap by developing a multi-criteria framework to prioritize erosion-prone sub-basins using morphometric, hypsometric, and revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE)-based analyses in the Mandovi River Basin (MRB) of the western coastal India. High-resolution Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM)-DEM (30&#xa0;m), GIS, and remote sensing techniques were utilized to evaluate 28 morphometric parameters, hypsometric integrals (HI), and soil erosion rates across 15 sub-basins. The results revealed that MRB has a sixth order dendritic drainage network with moderate drainage density (1.02–1.7&#xa0;km/km<sup>2</sup>). Hypsometric curves identified sub-basins 8 and 14 in equilibrium stage (HI, 0.44 and 0.54) and sub-basin 9 in a youthful stage (HI, 0.63), indicating high erosion susceptibility due to steep slopes and low drainage density. The RUSLE model estimated 74.77 km<sup>2</sup> area of MRB under moderately severe to extremely severe erosion. The weighted sum approach (WSA) prioritized sub-basin 8 as the most vulnerable, as validated by RUSLE, with 16.89 km<sup>2</sup> (22.6%) area under high erosion. This study innovatively integrates geomorphic indices with erosion modeling, addressing the critical research gap in holistic watershed prioritization for the MRB. The findings emphasize targeted interventions such as check dams, contour bunding, terracing, and afforestation in high-risk zones, offering a replicable framework for tropical river basins facing similar challenges.</p>

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Multi-Criteria Approach for Watershed Prioritization Using Morphometry, Hypsometric, and Erosion Analysis in the Mandovi River Basin of the Western Coast of India

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年5月2日

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  • Basavareddy,
  • M. S. Ayyanagowdar,
  • Sujeet Desai,
  • U. Satishkumar,
  • G. V. Srinivasa Reddy,
  • Rajesh N. L.,
  • Manoj Kumar,
  • Parveen Kumar

摘要

The west coast of India faces soil erosion and water scarcity problems due to inadequate watershed management. While morphometric and hypsometric analyses are widely employed for erosion assessment, integrated studies combining these with soil loss modeling remain limited in tropical river basins of India. The present study addresses this gap by developing a multi-criteria framework to prioritize erosion-prone sub-basins using morphometric, hypsometric, and revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE)-based analyses in the Mandovi River Basin (MRB) of the western coastal India. High-resolution Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM)-DEM (30 m), GIS, and remote sensing techniques were utilized to evaluate 28 morphometric parameters, hypsometric integrals (HI), and soil erosion rates across 15 sub-basins. The results revealed that MRB has a sixth order dendritic drainage network with moderate drainage density (1.02–1.7 km/km2). Hypsometric curves identified sub-basins 8 and 14 in equilibrium stage (HI, 0.44 and 0.54) and sub-basin 9 in a youthful stage (HI, 0.63), indicating high erosion susceptibility due to steep slopes and low drainage density. The RUSLE model estimated 74.77 km2 area of MRB under moderately severe to extremely severe erosion. The weighted sum approach (WSA) prioritized sub-basin 8 as the most vulnerable, as validated by RUSLE, with 16.89 km2 (22.6%) area under high erosion. This study innovatively integrates geomorphic indices with erosion modeling, addressing the critical research gap in holistic watershed prioritization for the MRB. The findings emphasize targeted interventions such as check dams, contour bunding, terracing, and afforestation in high-risk zones, offering a replicable framework for tropical river basins facing similar challenges.