Potential annual soil loss by erosion (RUSLE), Rwanda

Average annual soil loss (t ha-1 yr-1) calculated using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE): A = R × K × LS × C × P. This model estimates sheet and rill erosion risk based on five factors: rainfall erosivity (R), soil erodibility (K), topography (LS), cover-management (C), and support practices (P). The resulting map supports erosion risk assessment and soil conservation planning in Rwanda. Each input layer (R, K, LS, C, P) was derived as a separate spatial dataset as follows: R factor: Rainfall erosivity factor (MJ mm ha⁻¹ h⁻¹ yr⁻¹). Derived by clipping the global rainfall erosivity dataset of Panagos et al. (2017, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-04282-8), as published in Panagos et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2023.1094820), to the administrative country boundary of Rwanda. K factor: Soil erodibility factor ((Mg/ha)[(MJ/ha)(mm/h)]⁻¹), calculated following the method of Torri et al. (1997, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0341-8162(97)00036-2). The input sand, silt, clay and soil organic carbon maps were generated using digital soil mapping as implemented in the seedling workflow (https://doi.org/10.17027/ISRIC-FSX2-2691). The input soil profile data for these were: Sand, Silt & Clay: AfSIS (URI:b88870b4-6af8-4e78-a3ac-38871d757525), Marshland & MINAGRI (provided by Rwanda Agricultural and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB)) Soil Organic Carbon: CATALIST (provided by the IFDC CATALIST project) & Marshland (shared by RAB) LS factor: Topographic factor computed using slope and flow accumulation following the method of Luvai et al. (2021, https://doi.org/10.7176/JEES/11-16-06), and applied to areas with slope <50% in accordance with Panagos, Borrelli, and Meusburger (2015, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.01.008). The LS factor was derived from the MERIT Digital Elevation Model (https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL072874). C factor: Cover-management factor, calculated following the method of Negese (2024: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsase.2023.101089), using NDVI data derived from Landsat 8 Surface Reflectance Tier 1 Collection 2 imagery (2018–2023) (https://www.usgs.gov/landsat-missions/landsat-8). P factor: Support practices factor. P = 1 due to data gaps. This research was carried out for the LSC-IS hubs project under the funding program Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture (DeSIRA), European Union. EU Contribution Agreement to MinBUZA: FOOD/2020/419-433 ; MinBUZA to WUR Grant number: 4000004100. Coordinate Reference System - EPSG:32736