My research will focus on how soil chemical degradation affects water quality, thus impacting environmental and human health1. Soil degradation discusses changes in soil: chemical, physical, biological, and ecological. Soil degradation is a significant threat to humanity; an example of physical degradation of agricultural catchments due to erosion is decreased water holding capacity, poor aeration, scarce microbial activity, and loose soil structure due to reduced crop yields2. Fertilizers are chemical degradation; when the need is high, there is an aggravation of biological soil, causing soil stagnation, Loss, and depletion of fertile topsoil due to physical impacts leading to food insecurity3. Pesticides also cause soil contamination, leading to direct and indirect contamination of land and aquatic systems, surface water, and groundwater, inducing significant risks for natural ecosystems such as soil pH, decreased plant nutrition, and acceleration of soil salinity4. To ensure environmental sustainability, one of the solutions put in place is an application of geospatial technology that has been made in place to assess and predict. It also identifies the soil and the sediment quality4.
1- Li R, Napier TL, El-Swaify SA (Samir A, Sabir M, Rienzi E. Global Degradation of Soil and Water Resources: Regional Assessment and Strategies. Springer; 2022. doi:10.1007/978-981-16-7916-2
2- Svoray T. A Geoinformatics Approach to Water Erosion: Soil Loss and Beyond. Springer; 2022. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-91536-0
3- Meena RS, Sandeep Kumar, Bohra JS, Jat ML, eds. Sustainable Management of Soil and Environment. Springer; 2019. doi:10.1007/978-981-13-8832-3
4- Shit PK, Adhikary PP, Bhunia GS, Sengupta D, eds. Soil Health and Environmental Sustainability: Application of Geospatial Technology. Springer; 2022. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-09270-1