Geospatial technology for assessment of soil erosion and prioritization of watersheds using RUSLE model for lower Sutlej sub-basin of Punjab, India

Prioritization of watersheds for land and water management in lower Sutlej River Basin using geospatial technology

“…Agriculture dominates the region's land usage due to its significance as the primary occupation. The river basin has been delineated into fourteen watersheds using the SWAT model (Sharma et al, 2023). The stream order, along with watersheds of the lower Sutlej River basin is depicted in Fig.…”

“…The application of RS and GIS systems in geomorphological mapping has led to more objective and successful landform segmentation, measurement, and classification. Numerous studies (Magesh et al, 2011;Bhagwat et al, 2011;Magesh et al, 2013;Singh et al, 2013;Magesh & Chandrasekar, 2014;Das, 2014;Sujatha et al, 2015;Kumar et al, 2017;Rai et al, 2017a;Rai et al, 2017b;Rai et al, 2018;Kandpal et al, 2018;Prabhakaran & Raj, 2018;Gaikwad et al, 2018, Malik et al, 2019Singh et al, 2021;Sharma et al, 2023) underscore the significance of RS and GIS techniques. Using GIS to assess morphometric parameters offers a viable means to characterize the hydrological response behavior of watersheds (Rai et al, 2017).…”

“…The method (WSA) focuses on utilizing morphometric parameters related to relief, area, and linear aspects for the prioritization of subwatersheds, relying solely on digital elevation models (DEMs). The assessment of morphometric characteristics holds particular importance in the context of sustainable land and water resource preservation, especially within developing nations constrained by a lack of comprehensive quantitative data and allocated budgets for integrated watershed management (Avinasha et al, 2011;Thomas et al, 2011;Prasannakumar et al, 2013;Sujatha et al, 2014;da Silva et al, 2017;Sharma et al, 2023). Adhami and Sadeghi (2016) emphasize that factors related to topo-hydrology and geomorphometry play a pivotal role in determining suitable locations for implementing land and water conservation measures within sub-watersheds.…”

“…Previous research published in north-western India on morphometric analysis and prioritization of distinct watersheds has been published on the Shivalik foothills by Bhatt et al (2007); Kumar & Kushwaha (2013); Kaur et al (2014); Singh et al (2016); Kushwaha et al (2016); Kushwaha & Bhardwaj (2017); Sushanth & Bhardwaj (2019); Singh et al (2021); Singh et al (2023). The lower Sutlej sub-basin is currently facing multiple challenges, including soil erosion by water in upstream watersheds as highlighted by Sharma et al (2023), degradation of water quality as indicated by Setia et al (2020), groundwater depletion, and the impacts of climate change, as studied by Kaur et al (2022). Within the study area, numerous watersheds prone to erosion are significantly impacted, adversely affecting the Sutlej River's carrying capacity and water quality.…”

“…Within the study area, numerous watersheds prone to erosion are significantly impacted, adversely affecting the Sutlej River's carrying capacity and water quality. It is essential to prioritize these erosion-prone watersheds to facilitate the implementation of targeted strategies for land and water resources management, an aspect emphasized by Sharma et al (2023). Up to now, there has been limited address regarding the inclusion of topo-hydrological factors, such as the topographic wetness index (TWI), stream power index (SPI), and sediment power index (STI), in the process of prioritizing watersheds.…”