TITLE:
Mapping of Soil Erosion Risk in Bukavu (Democratic Republic of Congo): Using RUSLE, Remote Sensing and GIS
AUTHORS:
Isaac Chunga Chako, Jean Augustin Rubabura Kituta, Thoko Seunda Banda, Prosper Mweze Rugomba, Victor Mituga Ntwali, Louis Pasteur Mukungilwa Myango, Ghislain Kabumba Rubega, Valery Muhaya Ntamusimwa, Kavimba Kahindo Jacques
KEYWORDS:
Remote Sensing, Erodibility, Erosivity, Water Erosion, Universal Equation
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.9 No.11,
November
28,
2022
ABSTRACT: In this paper, the author returns to the mapping of the risks of water erosion by the revised universal equation of soil losses, remote sensing and GIS in the city of Bukavu, eastern DR. Congo. SGI and remote sensing methods were used in this work. The results give the orders of magnitude of the parameters generating erosivity of 256.730943 MJ·mm/ha/h/year while the erodibility (K) goes up to about 0.2. With regard to potential erosion, the calculated land losses are between 2 and 50 t/ha/year. Data analysis shows that more than 70% of the surface of the city of Bukavu is within the soil loss tolerance threshold in the intertropical region, i.e. 20 t/ha/year. However, it appears that 1% of the watershed is gullied in the parts less covered by vegetation, especially in areas occupied by uncontrolled urbanization. Thus, at the end of this study, some erosion control methods are recommended in order to conserve the soil.