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Soil erosion vulnerability and soil loss estimation for Siran River watershed, Pakistan: an integrated GIS and remote sensing approach

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Abstract

Soil erosion is a problematic issue with detrimental effects on agriculture and water resources, particularly in countries like Pakistan that heavily rely on farming. The condition of major reservoirs, such as Tarbela, Mangla, and Warsak, is crucial for ensuring an adequate water supply for agriculture in Pakistan. The Kunhar and Siran rivers flow practically parallel, and the environment surrounding both rivers’ basins is nearly identical. The Kunhar River is one of KP’s dirtiest rivers that carries 0.1 million tons of suspended sediment to the Mangla reservoir. In contrast, the Siran River basin is largely unexplored. Therefore, this study focuses on the Siran River basin in the district of Manshera, Pakistan, aiming to assess annual soil loss and identify erosion-prone regions. Siran River average annual total soil loss million tons/year is 0.154. To achieve this, the researchers integrate Geographical Information System (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) data with the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model. Five key variables, rainfall, land use land cover (LULC), slope, soil types, and crop management, were examined to estimate the soil loss. The findings indicate diverse soil loss causes, and the basin’s northern parts experience significant soil erosion. The study estimated that annual soil loss from the Siran River basin is 0.154 million tons with an average rate of 0.871 tons per hectare per year. RUSLE model combined with GIS/RS is an efficient technique for calculating soil loss and identifying erosion-prone areas. Stakeholders such as policymakers, farmers, and conservationists can utilize this information to target efforts and reduce soil loss in specific areas. Overall, the study’s results have the potential to advance initiatives aimed at safeguarding the Siran River watershed and its vital resources. Protecting soil resources and ensuring adequate water supplies are crucial for sustainable agriculture and economic development in Pakistan.

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Data availability

The data used in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the Department of Geography, University of Peshawar, Department of Geography Islamia College Peshawar, and Department of Petroleum and Mining Engineering, Tishk International University, Erbil, Iraq.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan

    Mehwish Mehwish & Muhammad Jamal Nasir

  2. Department of Geography, Islamia College Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan

    Abdur Raziq

  3. Petroleum and Mining Engineering Department, Tishk International University, Erbil, 44001, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

    Ayad M. Fadhil Al-Quraishi & Fadhil Ali Ghaib

Authors
  1. Mehwish Mehwish
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  2. Muhammad Jamal Nasir
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  3. Abdur Raziq
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  4. Ayad M. Fadhil Al-Quraishi
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  5. Fadhil Ali Ghaib
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Contributions

Mehwish Mehwish: original draft writing, formal analysis, investigation, and methodology; Muhammad Jamal Nasir; Supervision, writing review, and editing; Abdur Raziq; rewriting some parts, correcting of English, and reviewing the manuscript. Ayad M. Fadhil Al- Quriashi; extensive reviewing, editing and finalizing original draft and Fadhil Ali Ghaib; review manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ayad M. Fadhil Al-Quraishi.

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Recommendation

The Surface Water Hydrology Department of WAPDA operates gauging stations on nearly all of Pakistan’s major rivers. The data from these gauging stations can be utilized to learn more about the suspended sediment load carried by rivers and, eventually, reservoir sedimentation. Additional studies on soil erosion utilizing geospatial technology are needed, to identify areas that are vulnerable to soil erosion so that area-specific remedies can be implemented. Additional research is suggested due to the huge potential for diverse hydrologic, climatological, ecological, and statistical modeling applications in soil erosion investigations. It is recommended that the impact of specific causal components, such as land use, rainfall, and vegetation cover, be investigated at the watershed level.

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Mehwish, M., Nasir, M.J., Raziq, A. et al. Soil erosion vulnerability and soil loss estimation for Siran River watershed, Pakistan: an integrated GIS and remote sensing approach. Environ Monit Assess 196, 104 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-12262-x

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