Identification of Soil Erosion-Based Degraded Land Areas by Employing a Geographic Information System—A Case Study of Pakistan for 1990–2020

Qurrat Ulain, Syeda Maria Ali, Ashfaq Ahmad Shah, Kanwar Muhammad Javed Iqbal, Wahid Ullah and Muhammad Atiq Ur Rehman Tariq ()
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Qurrat Ulain: Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Basic & Applied Sciences, International Islamic University, H-10, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Syeda Maria Ali: Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Basic & Applied Sciences, International Islamic University, H-10, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Ashfaq Ahmad Shah: Research Center for Environment and Society, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Kanwar Muhammad Javed Iqbal: National Institute of Maritime Affairs, Bahria University, E-8, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Wahid Ullah: Department of Sociology, University of Chakwal, Punjab 48800, Pakistan
Muhammad Atiq Ur Rehman Tariq: College of Engineering, IT & Environment, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0810, Australia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-12

Abstract: Land is one of the most vital nonrenewable resources that guarantee the survival and development of humans on planet Earth. In the 21st century, rapid population growth accompanied by expeditious industrialization and urbanization has led to land degradation and irreparable damage. In Pakistan, land degradation has affected the livelihood of 3.58% of the total population. This study aimed to identify the soil erosion-based land that is degraded in Pakistan through an analytical hierarchal process (AHP). For this purpose, climatic parameters such as vis-a-vis precipitation, temperature, land use/land cover, soil parameters (i.e., soil pH, soil texture, soil bulk density, and soil moisture content), and topographic parameters (i.e., slope, elevation, aspect, and drainage density) were taken into the consideration. Weights and scores were assigned in integration with a weighted overlay analysis (WOA) to the prioritized parameters. The findings revealed that Zone A comprising high mountains is severely affected by land degradation, followed by Zone D and E (Sindh and Balochistan). Key factors operating in Zone D and E are hyper-arid climatic conditions along with inefficient land management practices. The overall results validated the hypothesis that soil erosion strongly correlates with an increase in the magnitude and severity of land degradation.

Keywords: soil erosion; land degradation; GIS; AHP; weighted overlay analysis; hyper-arid climate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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