Quantification of soil erosion and sediment yield for ungauged catchment using the RUSLE model: Case study for Lake Basaka catchment in Ethiopia

Soil erosion is a monumental land degradation problem in many parts of the world, threatening the well-being of humans and ecosystems. The Lake Basaka catchment is heavily affected by serious land degradation problems related to land use–land cover changes (LULC), population dynamics and settlement, introduction of large-scale irrigation schemes, etc. Accordingly, the objective of the present study was to quantify the magnitude of soil lost from the Lake Basaka catchment and the sediment subsequently delivered to the lake on the basis of the limited available dataset in a distributed manner using the RUSLE model in a GIS environment. The results indicated about 36 million m³ of soil were lost from the catchment between 1973 and 2007. Soil erosion and sedimentation in the lake catchment continue to increase from time to time, being attributed to the significant LULC occurring in the catchment. About 23 cm of the economically productive top soil in the catchment was lost during the study period (1960–2015), which translates into a significant degradation of the catchment (e.g. further reduction of infiltration capacity, thereby accelerating run-off and erosion rates). Similarly, about a 1.3 m deep sediment layer was deposited in the lake during the same period. The computed sediment yield indicates about 14% of the lake incremental volume and depth in recent periods (post-2000s) is attributable to sedimentation. Certain coincidental changes are also occurring in the catchment, including organic matter declines, soil nutrient depletion and soil depth decrement, which may lead to decreased production and productivity and associated ecosystem imbalances. The present study identified the potential areas that contribute significantly to erosion and sedimentation, thereby providing guidance regarding where land use/cover practices must be implemented to limit/reduce, if not avoid, the impacts of erosion and subsequent sedimentation in Lake Basaka.