Western Ghat soil erosion increases by 94%: IIT Bombay

Tamil Nadu performed the worst, with a soil loss rate of 121% from 1990 to 2020. According to a research conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, soil erosion in the Western Ghats Region (WGR) rose by 94% between 1990 and 2020. 

Western Ghats

• The Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri Hills, are famous for their diverse and unusual flora and wildlife.
• In northern Maharashtra, the range is known as Sahyadri, while in Kerala, it is known as Sahya Parvatham.
• The Konkan Coast is the northern section of the narrow coastal plain between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.
• The middle region is known as Kanara, and the southern section is known as the Malabar region or the Malabar Coast.
• The Maharashtra foothill region east of the Ghats is known as Desh, whereas the eastern foothills of central Karnataka state are known as Malenadu.

About Western Ghats Region (WGR) 

• The Western Ghats Region (WGR) is a distinctive landscape that stretches from Gujarat's south to Kerala and Tamil Nadu. 
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the 36 biodiversity hotspots on the planet. 
• The innovative study employed remote sensing data to calculate long-term soil losses over the whole WGR. 

Key facts from IIT study

• Soil erosion in the Western Ghats Region (WGR) rose by 94% between 1990 and 2020. 
• This is a "detrimental" inclination in a region noted for its biodiversity. 
• Tamil Nadu- The worst with the highest soil loss rate of 121 per cent from 1990 to 2020.
• Kerala- It had a net increasing trend in soil losses at 90 per cent
• Karnataka- It showed an increase of 56 per cent

Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE)

• The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) approach was employed by the researchers to get quantitative estimates of soil loss.
• The primary elements considered by USLE include rainfall, topography, soil erodibility, land cover management, and current conservation practices. 
• The use of USLE for the WGR was innovative, and it is possible that this was the first time such an evaluation was performed at this magnitude.
• For the years 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020, the average annual soil loss for the area was 32.3, 46.2, 50.2, and 62.7 tonnes per hectare, respectively.