Quantitatification of soil erosion using causative factors in the gis environment for sylhet district, bangladesh

The aim of this study was to enumerate the potential soil erosion in the Sylhet district of Bangladesh using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) approach in the software-based windows. Using the rainfall erosivity factor (R), the soil erodibility factor (K), the cover management factor (C), the topographic factor (LS) and the support practices factor (P), the RUSLE formula quantified the possible soil loss rate. The soil erosion rate was classified into six classes based on the erosion severity. The result shows that the annual soil deterioration rate differs from 0 to 799.67 t/ha/year. However, almost about 97.71% of the total surface area is under low potential (54.1%) and moderate (43.61%) erosion risk. Rather about 2.29% area of Sylhet district was under average, high, very high and critic erosion risk. Result indicates that the north-eastern and central zone are highly vulnerable to soil erosion due to steep slope and P factor.