Mapping Soil Journey to Guide River and Reservoir Management
The research group of Dr. Somil Swarnkar, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, IISER Bhopal, developed a mapping approach to identify where soil is eroded, how it travels towards rivers, and where it may accumulate. Rain can wash loose soil from hills and fields into streams. This material, called sediment, follows routes shaped by slopes, vegetation and flowing water. Dams interrupt these routes, allowing sediment to collect in reservoirs. The study compared the largely forested Sabari and more extensively modified Manjira sub-basins of the Godavari River system, using land-use information from 1985 to 2022. By examining erosion and sediment movement together, the researchers identified priority areas where several risk factors overlap. Reservoirs emerged as important barriers that break up sediment pathways and create accumulation zones upstream. Published in CATENA, the findings support restoring vegetation in vulnerable parts of Sabari and coordinating erosion control with reservoir management in Manjira. The maps can help managers decide where conservation efforts are most needed to protect soil and address reservoir sediment build-up.For more details, kindly visit https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0341816226008210
