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

Author

Listed:
  • 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
    School of Public Administration, Hohai University, 8 Fochengxi Road, Jiangning District, 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
    College of Engineering and Science, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC 8001, Australia)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Qurrat Ulain & Syeda Maria Ali & Ashfaq Ahmad Shah & Kanwar Muhammad Javed Iqbal & Wahid Ullah & Muhammad Atiq Ur Rehman Tariq, 2022. "Identification of Soil Erosion-Based Degraded Land Areas by Employing a Geographic Information System—A Case Study of Pakistan for 1990–2020," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-12, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:19:p:11888-:d:920771
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir & Daniela Smiraglia & Giovanni Quaranta & Rosanna Salvia & Luca Salvati & Antonio Giménez-Morera, 2020. "Land Degradation and Mitigation Policies in the Mediterranean Region: A Brief Commentary," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-17, October.
    2. Prabuddh Kumar Mishra & Aman Rai & Kamal Abdelrahman & Suresh Chand Rai & Anuj Tiwari, 2022. "Land Degradation, Overland Flow, Soil Erosion, and Nutrient Loss in the Eastern Himalayas, India," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-16, January.
    3. Hualin Xie & Yanwei Zhang & Zhilong Wu & Tiangui Lv, 2020. "A Bibliometric Analysis on Land Degradation: Current Status, Development, and Future Directions," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-37, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Nan Jiang & Fojun Yao & Tao Liu & Zhuo Chen & Chen Hu & Xinxia Geng, 2023. "Estimating the Soil Erosion Response to Land-Use Change Using GIS-Based RUSLE and Remote Sensing: A Case Study of Heilongjiang Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-19, May.

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