Mapping Gully Erosion Dynamics Near Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra: A Cloud-Based Geospatial Analysis Using Google Earth Engine

Gully erosion represents a significant global environmental challenge, severely impacting land productivity, water resources, and ecological sustainability. The Nagar tehsil and the surrounding area of Ahilyanagar city in Maharashtra belong to semi-arid regions where gully erosion is a major threat to agriculture and water resources. This study used the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform to map and assess gully erosion dynamics. By analyzing multi-temporal Sentinel-2 imagery, NDVI, Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), and other environmental data, researchers were able to accurately map gully-affected areas and identify the main factors contributing to their formation. A spatial analysis using a 5 km multi-ring buffer around Ahilyanagar city identified six gully erosion hotspots, revealing that about 40 villages in Nagar Tahsil are highly susceptible to erosion. The study found that the northeastern part of the region had the highest concentration of gullies, while the southern and southeastern parts had very few. The main causes were identified as both human activities, such as deforestation and unsustainable farming, and natural factors like steep slopes and drainage density. This research demonstrates that GEE is an effective, large-scale, and cost-efficient tool for mapping erosion. The findings provide a valuable framework for policymakers to implement targeted conservation strategies, directly supporting global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and India's Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) mission.