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Updated: Dec 31, 2025

Watershed Planning within a Quantitative Scenario Analysis Framework
Published on: July 24, 2016
Catchment-scale soil conservation: Using climate, vegetation, and topo-hydrological parameters to support decision
Moslem Borji1, Aliakbar Nazari Samani2, Sharareh Rashidi1
1Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Iran.
This study developed a new method to assess watershed erosion risk using multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques. The Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) showed the highest correlation with erosion models, identifying areas needing soil conservation.
Area of Science:
- Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Hydrology
- Soil Science
Background:
- Geomorphometric analysis of watersheds offers crucial quantitative data for understanding stream hydrology and landscape changes.
- This information is vital for soil conservationists to pinpoint areas susceptible to land degradation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a methodology for assessing catchment-scale sensitivity to sediment yield.
- To identify key factors influencing sediment yield and soil erosion using a combination of Principal Component Analysis and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques.
Main Methods:
- Employed four MCDM techniques: TOPSIS, VIKOR, weighted-sum analysis (WSA), and combined factor (CF).
- Utilized indices such as infiltration number (IF), drainage density (Dd), length of overland flow (Lo), channel maintenance (C), stream frequency (Fs), and ruggedness number (Rn).
- Validated results against a previous RUSLE3D model and field sediment-yield data.
Main Results:
- The TOPSIS model demonstrated the highest correlation with RUSLE3D results.
- VIKOR analysis classified significant portions of the region with high (26.08%) and very high (17.39%) erodibility.
- All 23 sub-watersheds showed moderate sediment yields according to TOPSIS.
Conclusions:
- The developed methodology effectively assesses watershed sensitivity to sediment yield and soil erosion.
- The Taleghan watershed exhibits high sensitivity to soil erosion, necessitating targeted conservation efforts.
- This approach is adaptable to other regions with limited detailed environmental data.
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