Process-based modelling of soil erosion: scope and limitation in the Indian context

The conservation and sustainability of natural resources, particularly soil and water, are crucial for agricultural yield and livelihood. Soil erosion models simulate the influence of existing farm management patterns as well as soil conservation interventions affecting soil erosion rates and accordingly recommend appropriate management techniques. The erosion models might be helpful for forecasting soil erosion, sediment load and evaluating the effectiveness of conservation measures. Although numerous empirical, conceptual or physical process-based models are used to study soil erosion, they differ in respect of input data requirements, representation of physical processes, sediment yield, and limitations due to their spatial and temporal variations. Due to limitations in empirical models in describing the erosion process, some pro­cess-based models may be used to quantify the state of soil erosion in a region. Before use, the available erosion models must be evaluated and validated for local circumstances. In this respect, the present study has been carried out to provide a critical review of various soil erosion models used worldwide, having different climatic parameters for determining soil erosion rate, run-off and sediment yield status.