Estimation of Soil Erosion in Three Northern Regions of Ghana Using RUSLE in GIS Environment

Abstract

Soil erosion is a global problem with severe consequences, which has become a widespread environmental challenge in the northern parts of Ghana in recent times. This research integrated RUSLE into GIS to estimate the annual soil erosion rates for the Northern, North-East, and Savannah Regions of Ghana. A soil erosion map was generated with an annual soil erosion rate of 4.0 t ha−1y−1 for the Northern Region, 5.0 t ha−1y−1 for the North-East Region, and 7.0 t ha−1y−1 for the Savannah Region. Relatively higher erosion rates were observed in the Tatale Sangule and Kpandai districts of the Northern Region, with rainfall erosivity being the main driving factor. There was a landuse/cover erosion reduction effect of 66% in the Northern Region, 70% in the Northeast Region, and 58% in the Savannah Region. The cover management (C) factor was overwhelmingly the main erosion-reducing factor in erosion control as opposed to land conservation (P) factor.