Abstract:
This study evaluates the land use and land cover (LULC) dynamics that play an
indispensable role in the degradation and deterioration of soil and water quality affecting
the natural resources throughout the Kulfo watershed in Ethiopia. Directed image
classification is initiated for satellite images to study the watershed. The image
classification is categorized into ten different LULC classes with validation of ground
control points. A Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model was used to
generate the average soil loss of the watershed. The model involves the Rainfall Erosivity
factor (R), Soil Erodibility factor (K), Length and Slope factor (LS), Cover Management
factor (C), and Support Practice factor (P). The dynamics of LULC change and rainfall
erosivity over the past 30 years have been interpreted using maps from 1990, 2005, and
2020 using the C-factor and R-factor. The remaining factors, like K-factor, LS-factor, and P
factor, were kept constant over the period. The results reveal that the average annual soil
loss rate (A) of the watershed is estimated to be 138.8 t ha-1, 161.2 ha-1, and 173.25 t ha-1
per year, for the selected period intervals. During the past three decades, the soil loss
rate in the watershed has increased by 34.4 t ha-1 per year. The watershed and
sustainable soil and water conservation practices need special attention to mitigate the
severity of soil erosion risks to avoid disaster.
