Abstract:
The study area is situated in Roorkee division of Haridwar district in Uttrakhand state. Due to change in climate and increasing construction works in the floodplain of Solani River, natural course of the river is hindered which increases the chances of flood in villages located in the natural course or nearby it. During heavy rainfall, soil erosion takes place. In this perspective, RUSLE equation is used to calculate the soil erosion and to identify the Flood hazard index. The study aimed for qualitative assessment for identification of soil erosion prone areas by combined weightage sum of erosion factors and comparison with quantitative assessment by calculating soil loss using soil erosion model RUSLE. Low data demanding models, like RUSLE, make soil erosion estimation feasible within larger scales as monthly precipitation data, soil map, a digital elevation model, land-cover and land use types and slope steepness were used to determine the RUSLE values.
GIS and Google Earth are used to identify the potential soil erosion and high risk sites. This model takes various attributes and evaluation criteria by literature. RUSLE model is applied in Geographic Information System (GIS). For the requirement of spatial data in GIS, a number of thematic map layers (land use, topographic contours, roads, soil type, geology etc.,) are prepared in digital format.
Ground truth has been collecting through different probable sources. The spatial and non-spatial data obtained through literature review and field work.
It is also important to note that the steepest slopes show high risk of soil erosion, it is therefore recommended that further study be undertaken to establish the suitable soil and water conservation measures that should be implemented in these areas as well as the whole catchment.
