Soil degradation refers to the deterioration of soils due to various factors such as nutrient loss, acidification, decalcification and, especially soil erosion. These processes have a severe impact on agriculture and can jeopardize food production.
Soil erosion is the predominant form of soil degradation. It occurs when the top layer of soil is removed by natural elements such as water, wind, or gravity. This often occurs due to a lack of vegetation cover, which usually protects against erosion. The consequences are severe: the soil loses its ability to retain water, which increases the risk of flooding and further accelerates erosion.
The risk analysis for soil erosion is based on a modeled data set that provides global soil erosion rates by water for different points in time and scenarios. We assign vulnerability and risk values to the soil erosion rates depending on the object under investigation.