Soil Erosion and Flooding in Bulgaria-Risk Assessment and Prevention Measures

Rousseva, Svetla; Marinov, I.

doi:10.1007/978-981-16-7916-2_25

Cited by 3 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…The values differ from 600 to 800 MJ mm ha −1 h −1 yr −1 in the north of Bulgaria (east Serbia borderline) to 400-600 MJ mm mm ha −1 h −1 yr −1 in (N. Macedonia). On the other hand, the work of the above-mentioned authors [105,106] differs from this study due to the precipitation data resolution (30 min, I 30 ) and data source (ground, gauge data). Hence, it can be noticed that R-factor values are somewhat more appropriate when derived by the RUSLE2 approach.…”

Section: R-factor Variabilitymentioning

confidence: 71%

“…Due to the very limited number of research regarding the WB study area, the obtained results can also be compared with the work of Rousseva and Stefanova and Rousseva and Marinov [105,106] on the borderline with Serbia and N. Macedonia, as they used the USLE methodology for neighboring Bulgaria. The results for the USLE methodology are similar to the RUSLE2 methodology [79] and so can only be compared with RUSLE2.…”

Section: R-factor Variabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of Rainfall Erosivity in the Western Balkans by Mapping and Clustering ERA5 Reanalysis Data

et al. 2023

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The Western Balkans (WB) region is highly prone to water erosion processes, and therefore, the estimation of rainfall erosivity (R-factor) is essential for understanding the complex relationships between hydro-meteorological factors and soil erosion processes. The main objectives of this study are to (1) estimate the spatial-temporal distribution R-factor across the WB region by applying the RUSLE and RUSLE2 methodology with data for the period between 1991 and 2020 and (2) apply cluster analysis to identify places of high erosion risk, and thereby offer a means of targeting suitable mitigation measures. To assess R-factor variability, the ERA5 reanalysis hourly data (0.25° × 0.25° spatial resolution) comprised 390 grid points were used. The calculations were made on a decadal resolution (i.e., for the 1990s, the 2000s, and the 2010s), as well as for the whole study period (1991–2020). In order to reveal spatial patterns of rainfall erosivity, a k-means clustering algorithm was applied. Visualization and mapping were performed in python using the Matplotlib, Seaborn, and Cartopy libraries. Hourly precipitation intensity and monthly precipitation totals exhibited pronounced variability over the study area. High precipitation values were observed in the SW with a >0.3 mm h−1 average, while the least precipitation was seen in the Pannonian Basin and far south (Albanian coast), where the mean intensity was less than an average of 0.1 mm h−1. R-factor variability was very high for both the RUSLE and RUSLE2 methods. The mean R-factor calculated by RUSLE2 was 790 MJ mm ha−1·h−1·yr−1, which is 58% higher than the mean R-factor obtained from RUSLE (330 MJ mm ha−1·h−1·yr−1). The analysis of the R-factor at decadal timescales suggested a rise of 14% in the 2010s. The k-means algorithm for both the RUSLE and RUSLE2 methods implies better spatial distribution in the case of five clusters (K = 5) regarding the R-factor values. The rainfall erosivity maps presented in this research can be seen as useful tools for the assessment of soil erosion intensity and erosion control works, especially for agriculture and land use planning. Since the R-factor is an important part of soil erosion models (RUSLE and RUSLE2), the results of this study can be used as a guide for soil control works, landscape modeling, and suitable mitigation measures on a regional scale.

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Section: R-factor Variabilitymentioning

confidence: 71%

Section: R-factor Variabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Rainfall Erosivity in the Western Balkans by Mapping and Clustering ERA5 Reanalysis Data

et al. 2023

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“…Despite the general trend towards a decrease in soil erosion in Europe [1], soil erosion by water is still one of the most widespread causes of soil degradation in many countries, including Bulgaria [2][3][4][5][6]. The mean soil loss in the European Union is about 2.46 t/ha annually, but 12.7% of European arable lands have a soil loss of more than 5 t/ha annually.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In existing publications, authors analyse the potential of precipitation to generate erosion processes by calculating several indices, among which, the most used are the Fournier index (FI) and the modified Fournier index (MFI). Previous publications on soil erosion in Bulgaria clarify the problem the most often from the point of view of agroecological measures and indicate in which parts of the country erosion is the most active, which types of soil are the most endangered, where the greatest losses of humus horizons are located, and what measures are recommended for strengthening the grounds [3,[29][30][31]. The emphasis of most of the previous publications on erosion in Bulgaria is mainly on the influences of land use/land cover (LULC) changes and anthropogenic activities on the development of erosion processes [6,31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Annual and Seasonal Characteristics of Rainfall Erosivity in the Eastern Rhodopes (Bulgaria)

Nikolova,

Stefanova

et al. 2024

Atmosphere

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Rainfall, with its intensity, duration, and seasonal distribution, is among the main factors causing soil erosion, which is a widespread environmental problem in Bulgaria. Rainfall erosivity shows the potential of precipitation to generate erosion processes and is an essential indicator of the climate vulnerability of a region. This paper aims to evaluate rainfall erosivity in a part of the Eastern Rhodopes Mountains, an area that is characterised by high-intensity erosion processes and high erosion risk. Local peculiarities of rainfall erosivity were revealed by the calculation of some precipitation indices based on the monthly precipitation for the period 2000–2021, such as the precipitation concentration index (PCI), Angot precipitation index, Fournier index (FI), and modified Fournier index (MFI). The analysis of the extremely wet and extremely dry months at the annual and seasonal (October–March and April–September) levels was performed to evaluate the susceptibility to erosion. The results from the study show that rainfall erosivity in the studied area varies from low to moderate in the northern part of the study area and from high to very high in the south. According to the MFI, high and very high erosivities have been observed mainly since 2012. The erosivity increases from north to south, to the area with a complex relief, where the combination of orography and atmospheric circulation make favourable conditions for the occurrence of extreme precipitation. The analyses of the calculated indices show that the precipitations in most of the studied area generally have from a low to a moderate erosivity, but this does not exclude the occurrence of cases with high and very high erosivities, which are characteristic of recent years and are related to the increase in annual precipitations and extreme precipitation months. The results of this study can contribute to the development and implementation of measures and preventive activities for the reduction and possible elimination of the negative impacts of extreme precipitation.

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“…Soil erosion is one of the most widespread environmental problems in the Balkan Peninsula (Blinkov et al, 2008;Rousseva, 2012;Blinkov, 2015;Lukić et al, 2016;Rousseva et al, 2016;Ozsahin et al, 2018;Harsányi et al, 2022). Although there is evidence from several studies in this area, still there is no consensus regarding the impact of precipitation on soil erosion occurrence on a local scale in North Macedonia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rainfall erosivity in the Republic of North Macedonia: Fournier index approach

Alili

2023

Eng. Geol. and Hydrogeol.

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Rainfall erosivity is a crucial factor influencing soil erosion, which results from the detachment, transportation, and deposition of soil particles caused by rainfall and runoff. Rainfall erosivity assessment is a fundamental process aimed at quantifying the erosive power of rainfall events in a given region. The paper provides an overview of rainfall erosivity assessment in several heterogeneous regions of the Republic of North Macedonia based on rainfall data from meteorological stations characterized by different climatic and geographical conditions. Having into consideration that rainfall erosivity can be quantified by using various indices, this study uses two common ones: Fournier Index (FI) and the Modified Fournier Index (MFI) based on monthly and annual precipitation totals for the period 1951-2020. The results imply that in general, the studied stations belong to a low class of erosivity. It is found that FI has greater sensitivity and provides more details, also showing years with high and even very high rainfall erosivity while MFI gives more information for moderate rainfall erosivity.

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Soil Erosion and Flooding in Bulgaria-Risk Assessment and Prevention Measures

Cited by 3 publications

References 5 publications

Evaluation of Rainfall Erosivity in the Western Balkans by Mapping and Clustering ERA5 Reanalysis Data

Evaluation of Rainfall Erosivity in the Western Balkans by Mapping and Clustering ERA5 Reanalysis Data

Annual and Seasonal Characteristics of Rainfall Erosivity in the Eastern Rhodopes (Bulgaria)

Rainfall erosivity in the Republic of North Macedonia: Fournier index approach

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