| Abstract: | The problems and impact of gully erosion along the Atbara River (Sudan), situated in semi-arid and arid environments, were investigated. The total gross area of gullied land and the loss of arable land by gully erosion were estimated. Multi-date sets of panchromatic aerial photographs and Landsat images (TM) were selected to represent two sites in the arid (New Halfa) and semi-arid (Showak town) zones along the Atbara River. Photo interpretation was conducted using physiographic and element methods. The interpretations detected the effects of water action in different climatic zones on geology, lithology, vegetation and land use. The results showed that the traditional rainfed agriculture has accelerated gully erosion in the semi-arid rather than in the arid zone. The progressive rate of gully erosion in the semi-arid zone resulted in loss of arable land at about 13.4 km2 yr-1 and 9.8 km2 yr-1 in the periods 1985–1987 and 1987–1990, respectively. The study provided data on the monitoring and mapping of gully erosion along the Atbara River and its tributaries. |
