Linking soil erosion and food security in Kano State, Nigeria: A geospatial assessment using RUSLE and household surveys

Hudu Wudil, Abdulazeez; Idris, Muttaka; Adesuji Komolafe, Akinola

doi:10.22098/mmws.2025.18151.1650

Linking soil erosion and food security in Kano State, Nigeria: A geospatial assessment using RUSLE and household surveys

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نوع مقاله : پژوهشی

نویسندگان

¹ Senior Lecturer, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, Federal University Dutse, Jigawa State, Dutse, Nigeria

² Ph.D Candidate of Remote Sensing and GIS, Department of Remote Sensing and Geo-Science Information System, School of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Federal University of Technology Akure, Akure, Nigeria

³ Associate Professor, Department of Remote Sensing and Geo-Science Information System, School of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Federal University of Technology Akure, Akure, Nigeria

10.22098/mmws.2025.18151.1650

چکیده

Soil erosion constitutes a significant environmental and agricultural obstacle that jeopardizes food security throughout Nigeria. This research delves into the correlation between the intensity of soil erosion and household food security in Kano State by employing the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and the Household Food Consumption Score (HFCS). A multistage sampling technique was used to identify 600 respondents across four Local Government Areas categorized by varying levels of erosion severity (Very High, High, Low, and Very Low). The modeling of soil erosion was accomplished in Google Earth Engine by the integration of CHIRPS rainfall data, SRTM Digital Elevation Model (DEM), FAO soil classification maps, and Landsat satellite imagery. The findings derived from the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model indicate that more than 90% of the study area is exposed to high and very high erosion risk; The result of the One-Way ANOVA analysis showed significant differences (p < 0.001) in caloric consumption relative to erosion classifications. While 30.36% of the households situated in areas characterized by very low erosion are found to consume between 2800 and 3200 kcal/day, only 12% were found to consume between 2800 and 3200 Kcal/person/day. Similarly, the percentage of households classified as food-secure was found to be high in areas with very low erosion (72%) as against 54.67% in very high erosion areas. Crop yields revealed that cowpea and millet exhibited pronounced sensitivity to erosion, with cowpea yields diminishing by as much as 38.42% when comparing very low to very high erosion zones. This research concludes that soil erosion considerably affects agricultural productivity and food security. It calls for prompt policy measures that support agroforestry, terracing, cover cropping, and sustainable land management methodologies to alleviate erosion and boost food resilience.

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