Soil degradation due to soil erosion is one of the major environmental threats in developing countries. In resource limited conditions, computing the spatial distribution of soil erosion risk has become an essential and practical mechanism to implement soil conservation measures. This study aimed to assess the spatial distribution of soil loss in Omo-Gibe river basin using the integration of computer-based RUSLE and ArcGIS 10.7.1 to identify areas that require erosion prevention priority. Once raster layer of the input parameters was created, overlay analysis was carried to assess the spatial distribution of soil loss. The estimated annual soil loss varies from 0-279 t ha −1 yr −1 with a mean annual soil loss of 69 t ha −1 yr −1. The empirical analysis also confirmed that the basin losses a total of about 89.6 Mt of soil annually. Out of the total area; 7% was in very sever class, 4.8% was found in the sever and 8.7% was categorized in very high range. The remaining area were ranging from low to high erosion risk class. The influence of the combined LS factor for soil loss is significant. It was observed that small area of the Omo-Gibe basin contributed for the significant amount of soil loss. The finding of this study is in a good agreement with previous studies. Compared to the country permissible soil loss rate, 26% of the entire basin significantly exceeds the country threshold value (TSL = 18 t ha −1 yr −1). As a result, precedence and immediate attention should be given to those erosion prone areas. The study output could deliver watershed management experts and policy makers for better management implementation and resource allocation based on the local context.
Irrigation would provide farmers with sustained livelihoods and improve their general well-being. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of the land for surface irrigation using GIS based weighted overlay analysis of individual parameters for better utilization of land resources. Factors considered included physical land features (land use/land cover, soil and slope), and proximity to water sources. Based on soil depth, 82.4% of the study area is potential suitable for the intended uses; the drainage class scores 70% suitability; 80% the soil texture was clay dominant hence it was moderately suitable for surface irrigation. Considering the terrain, 11.75% of the basin is suited for irrigation practice. The LULC classification revealed that, 54.42% was found to be highly suitable and 16.7% is found to be unsuitable. In reference to river proximity, around 81% of the area could be highly recommended for the intended use. Excluding the national parks, 71% (7% is S1 and 64% is S2) is suitable for the intended use. Hence, future surface irrigation development is feasible. Based on the findings, to increase the land area to be irrigated; an appropriate drainage provision and cost wise land leveling should be taken into consideration, further land suitability analysis for other types of irrigation and water source should be carried out. The study result could assist policy makers for better decisions during the development of irrigation projects in Omo-Gibe river basin.
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