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Modelling of stream run-off and sediment output for erosion hazard assessment in Lesser Himalaya: need for sustainable land use plan using remote sensing and GIS: a case study

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Abstract

Assessment and inventory on soil erosion hazard are essential for the formulation of successful hazard mitigation plans and sustainable development. The objective of this study was to assess and map soil erosion hazard in Lesser Himalaya with a case study. The Dabka watershed constitutes a part of the Kosi Basin in the Lesser Himalaya, India, in district Nainital has been selected for the case illustration. The average rate of erosion hazard is 0.68 mm/year or 224 tons/km2/year. Anthropogenic and geo-environmental factors have together significantly accelerated the rate of erosion. This reconnaissance study estimates the erosion rate over the period of 3 years (2006–2008) as 1.21 mm/year (398 tons/km2/year) in the barren land having geological background of diamictite, siltstone and shale rocks, 0.92 mm/year (302 tons/km2/year) in the agricultural land with lithology of diamictite, slates, siltstone, limestone rocks, while in the forest land, it varies between 0.20 mm/year (66 tons/km2/year) under dense forest land having the geology of quartzwacke and quartrenite rocks and 0.40 mm/year (132 tons/km2/year) under open forest/shrubs land having geological setup of shale, dolomite and gypsum rocks. Compared to the intensity of erosion in the least disturbed dense forest, the erosion rate is about 5–6 times higher in the most disturbed agricultural land and barren land, respectively. The erosion hazard zones delineated following scalogram modelling approach. Integrated scalogram modelling approach resulted in severe classes of soil erosion hazard in the study area with numerical values of Erosion Hazard Index (EHI) ranging between 01 (very low hazard) and 5 (very high hazard).

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Acknowledgments

This study constitutes part of multidisciplinary project, Department of Science and Technology (D. S. T.) Government of India, No. ES/11/599/01 Dated 27/05/2005, ‘Geo-environmental Appriasal of the Dabka Watershed, Kumaun Lesser Himalaya, District Nainital: A Model Study for Sustainable Development’ funded to Professor C. C. Pant, Head Department of Geology Kumaun University Nainital. Dr. Pradeep K. Goswami Department of Geology, Kumaun University Nainital and Dr. P. K. Joshi IIRS-Dehradun, helped in GIS analysis for which authors indebted to him. Thanks to Shri M. S. Bargali, project assistant, helped during the intensive field work.

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Correspondence to Pradeep K. Rawat.

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Rawat, P.K., Tiwari, P.C., Pant, C.C. et al. Modelling of stream run-off and sediment output for erosion hazard assessment in Lesser Himalaya: need for sustainable land use plan using remote sensing and GIS: a case study. Nat Hazards 59, 1277–1297 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-011-9833-5

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