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Geospatial Evaluation of Soil Degradation in Western Himalayan Basins; A Case Study for Alaknanda Basin

International Journal of Civil Engineering
© 2025 by SSRG - IJCE Journal
Volume 12 Issue 3
Year of Publication : 2025
Authors : Nyigam Bole, Kedovito Chasie, Munuvelu Vese, Arnab Bandyopadhyay, Aditi Bhadra
10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V12I3P115
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Nyigam Bole, Kedovito Chasie, Munuvelu Vese, Arnab Bandyopadhyay, Aditi Bhadra, "Geospatial Evaluation of Soil Degradation in Western Himalayan Basins; A Case Study for Alaknanda Basin," SSRG International Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 12,  no. 3, pp. 162-175, 2025. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V12I3P115

Abstract:

To implement effective conservation plans, it is crucial for policymakers first to evaluate the extent of soil deterioration within the designated region to develop more targeted and impactful measures. The soil erosion model (RUSLE) incorporated with geospatial techniques was used to examine soil loss in high altitude Alaknanda River basin, situated in the Uttarakhand, Chamoli district in the Western Himalayas for a fifteen-year period (2004–2018). The estimated soil depletion was categorized into six distinct levels of erosion vulnerability, spanning from minimal to extremely high-risk classes. The study highlights the significant vulnerability of the Alaknanda River basin to soil loss, having an anticipated average loss of 28.45 t ha−1 yr−1, surpassing the permissible limit of 25 t ha−1 yr−1 in young mountain environments. The majority of the eroded portion is categorized within the slight erosion class at 43.67%, and the minority of the eroded region falls under the medium erosion class at 3.78%. The overall temporal variation in mean soil loss shows a rising pattern from 2004 to 2010, followed by a decrease from 2010 to 2018, following a pattern like that of the Ŗ-factor temporal trend, which also increases from 2004 to 2010 and decreases thereafter, underscoring the significant influence of rainfall on soil loss in Alaknanda. This geospatial evaluation of soil degradation in the Alaknanda basin offers valuable perspectives on the underlying factors resulting in erosion and pinpoints key areas that warrant priority interventions.

Keywords:

Alaknanda, GIS, RUSLE, Soil degradation, Spatio-temporal variation.

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