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Spatial and temporal-trend assessment of desertification-sensitive land using the desertification sensitivity index in the provincial Ninh Thuan, Vietnam

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Abstract

Desertification is a specific land-degrading process, reducing soil productivity and potentially threatening global food security. Therefore, spatially and temporally identifying and mapping desertification-sensitive areas is essential for better management. The current study aimed to (1) assess spatial areas sensitive to desertification and (2) examine the changing tendency of the desertification-sensitive areas over the past 25 years in the provincial Ninh Thuan. The desertification sensitivity index (DSI) was computed based on the Medalus model using 10 quantitative parameters, grouped into the soil, climate, and vegetation quality indexes, computed for the years 1996, 2005, 2010, and 2016. GIS was used to map desertification-sensitive areas associated with five DSI classes. Results showed that classes II and III had the highest area percentage, followed by classes IV and V, and class I. The classes most sensitive to desertification (classes IV and V) covered around 13 to 17%, and classes II and III were 25 to 32% of the total study area, respectively. The coastal areas located in the southeastern parts were more sensitive to desertification than the other parts. Over the four examined periods, the areas of classes IV and V increased while those of classes II and I decreased. These indicated that the study province tended to increase in its desertification sensitivity with a severe increase in the coastal areas over the past 25 years. The key factors involved in these changes could be related the human activities and climate variation, which could be more serious in southeastern areas than in the other areas.

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Acknowledgements

This research is supported by Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City (IUH) under grant number 108/HD-DHCN. The authors are grateful to the Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City (IUH) and the Institute of Environmental Science, Engineering, and Management (IESEM) of IUH. Many thanks are given to the staff and students at IESEM for their help with field trips.

Funding

This research is supported by Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City (IUH) under grant number 108/HD-DHCN.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environmental Science, Engineering and Management, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, 12 Nguyen Van Bao, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Binh Thanh Nguyen, Gai Dai Dinh & Long Ba Le

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  1. Binh Thanh Nguyen
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  2. Gai Dai Dinh
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  3. Long Ba Le
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Contributions

Binh Thanh Nguyen: Conceptualization, Visualization, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing; Gai Dai Dinh: Methodology, Writing - original draft,; Long Ba Le: Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Software; All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Binh Thanh Nguyen.

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Nguyen, B.T., Dinh, G.D. & Le, L.B. Spatial and temporal-trend assessment of desertification-sensitive land using the desertification sensitivity index in the provincial Ninh Thuan, Vietnam. Environ Monit Assess 196, 536 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-024-12707-x

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