Abstract

Soil erosion remains a critical environmental problem in southeastern Nigeria, with Onitsha North Local Government Area (LGA) experiencing increasingly severe land degradation. This study applies the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) within a GIS environment to map, quantify, and analyze soil erosion risk. Key RUSLE factors (R, K, LS, C, and P) were derived from rainfall data, Landsat 8 imagery, soil maps, and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data. The results show an average annual soil loss classified into low (80.89%), moderate (15.9%), and high (3.13%) erosion categories. Erosion susceptibility maps revealed that 3,326.54 hectares fall under low risk, 656.53 hectares under moderate risk, and 128.95 hectares under high erosion risk. This study highlights the importance of integrating GIS and rule-based models for sustainable erosion monitoring and land management. It recommends standardized input datasets, vegetation conservation, and erosion control practices to prevent further land degradation.