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Contribution of Geomatics in the Quantification of Water Erosion: Application in the Oued Lakhdar (Morocco)

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Abstract

This study presents the results of mapping and quantitatively estimating water erosion in the Oued Lakhdar basin using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) integrated into a Geographic Information System (GIS). The Oued Lakhdar basin is situated in the central High Atlas region, covers an area of 1638 km2, and is subjected to conditions that accelerate water erosion, including rugged topography, intense precipitation in the mountains, and significant human intervention. The analysis of the USLE results identified four primary levels of erosion: high (15–21 ts/he/yr), medium (10–15 ts/he/yr), low (5–10 ts/he/yr), and very low (0–5 ts/he/yr). This study demonstrates that USLE is a suitable method for estimating soil loss in a basin. The results can contribute to land-use planning and the prevention of water erosion, which is crucial to maintaining the health of ecosystems and communities that rely on agricultural land. Additionally, the results can assist the watershed managers of the Regional Directorate of Water and Forests and the Fight against Desertification of Beni Mellal in reducing the rate of erosion in the Oued Lakhdar basin.

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Data Availability

Available at http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/gdem.asp (Topographic data, Soil data and Land cover data) and climatic data was obtained from the Hydraulic Basin Agency of Oum Er-Rbia: 05234–82355).

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the management services of the Hydraulic Basin Agency of Oum-er-Rbia for providing the climate data used in this paper and also extend our warmest thanks to the USGS for having Landsat data available for public use via (https :// Earth exploits rer.usgs.gov/).

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  1. Laboratory of Landscape Dynamics, Risks and Heritage, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni Mellal, Morocco

    Elhoucein Layati & Mohamed El Ghachi

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  1. Elhoucein Layati
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  2. Mohamed El Ghachi
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Correspondence to Elhoucein Layati.

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Layati, E., El Ghachi, M. Contribution of Geomatics in the Quantification of Water Erosion: Application in the Oued Lakhdar (Morocco). J Indian Soc Remote Sens 52, 1315–1327 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-024-01880-8

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