Using Google Earth Engine and GIS for basin scale soil erosion risk assessment: A case study of Chambal river basin, central India

In this study, soil loss by water in the Chambal river basin (CHB) has been estimated using Google Earth Engine and Geographic Information System platforms employing the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). Google Earth Engine, a cloud-based platform, has been used for generating land use/land cover map from the voluminous satellite remote sensing data. The observed mean rate of soil erosion in the CHB is 1.17 t/ha/yr. The study reveals that very severe type of soil erosion in the Chambal river basin is found in the gullies/ravines and barren lands with the highest mean rate of soil erosion in the gully areas at 13.44 t/ha/yr. Catchment-wise soil loss estimates suggest that the four catchments namely Kali Sindh, Lower Chambal, Upper Chambal and Parbati are experiencing much higher soil loss in comparison to others; hence these catchments are prioritised for soil conservation efforts. Sensitivity analysis of individual factors and their interaction effect indicates that LS factor is the most influential factor in the study area followed by C factor.