Soil erosion assessment and its correlation with landslide events using the universal soil loss equation (USLE): a case study in Bududa District, Eastern Uganda.

Abstract

In this research,an attempt has been made to assess and observe dynamism of soil erosion by universal soil loss equation (USLE) method in Bududa District, Uganda. Multi-source (map-, space-and ground-based) datasets were used to obtain both static and dynamic factors of USLE, and an integrated analysis was carried out in raster format of GIS. A landslide location map was generated on the basis of image elements interpretation from aerial photos, satellite data and field observations and was used to validate soil erosion intensity in the study area. Further, a statistical-based frequency ratio analysis was carried out in the study area for correlation purposes. The results of the statistical correlation showed a satisfactory agreement between the prepared USLE-based soil erosion map and land slide events/locations, and are directly proportional to each other. Soil erosion assessment helps the user agencies/decision makers to design proper conservation planning program to reduce soil erosion.