Morphometric and land use integration for erosion susceptibility assessment in the Ma Labiod watershed, NE Algeria, using a compound prioritization framework

Abstract

Soil erosion represents a major environmental challenge in semi-arid regions, where fragile landscapes are increasingly affected by human pressures and climate variability. This study investigates erosion susceptibility in the Ma Labiod (ML) watershed, Algeria, through the integration of morphometric parameters (MPs) and land use/land cover (LU/LC) analysis within a GIS-based multi-criteria decision-making framework. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data were employed to extract linear, areal, and relief morphometric parameters, while Landsat 8 imagery was classified into six LU/LC categories. Sub-watershed prioritization was carried out using a correlation-based weighting approach combined with compound factor ranking. The results indicate that sub-watersheds 4, 6, and 9 exhibit high susceptibility to erosion, whereas sub-watersheds 1, 3, 7, and 8 demonstrate moderate vulnerability. Sub-watershed 2 emerged as the most critically affected area, requiring urgent soil conservation measures. The analysis highlights the strong influence of morphometric factors such as drainage density, stream frequency, length of overland flow, and bifurcation ratio, which are further intensified by LU/LC dynamics including vegetation loss and agricultural expansion. By integrating geomorphological attributes with LU/LC information, the study provides a robust and transferable framework for erosion risk assessment in data-limited contexts. The findings contribute actionable knowledge for watershed managers, planners, and policymakers, supporting the development of targeted soil and water conservation strategies and promoting sustainable land management in semi-arid regions of the MENA region.