Soil Erosion Assessment of Rohru C.D. Block of Himachal Pradesh Using Geospatial Tools

Estimating the extent and severity of soil erosion along with characterizing the soil properties and erosion factors is crucial for understanding and addressing detailed analysis of soil conditions in a given area. In this regard, the application of technology and tools like Remote Sensing and GIS are used to collect, analyze, and visualize data related to the Earth’s surface and its features that has a potential significance. An attempt has been made to estimate soil erosion employing (RUSLE) in the current study the Rohru Community Development Block, with an aerial extent of 305.57 km2, and a GIS-based physical resource database has been created to get a glance of physical-based information. Thematic maps have been created utilizing IMD data, NBSS/LUP, DEM, satellite imageries, and NDVI to access the research areas soil loss risk zone. These maps include different factors employed in RUSLE (rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, slope length, slope steepness, land cover management, and conservation strategies). High-resolution satellite data of 5 m and DEM of 12.5 m were used to generate LULC and slope layer. Using GIS-based overlay analysis, all thematic layers have been analyzed and combined. It was concluded that around half of the total geographical area of block fall under extensive soil loss category and only a total of 27 percent of the region was covered under the moderate and low soil loss category. The study shall be useful for further planning and can be used as quick guide for further studies.