*3.1.10 Global soil erosion analysis studies*

Water-induced soil erosion is a significant factor in the global degradation of land [139–142]. The nutritious topsoil, which contains the majority of organic matter and nutrients, is lost due to erosion [143, 144]. According to the global evaluation of land degradation (GLADA) conducted by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), it has been observed that there has been a degradation of 1.1 billion hectares of land globally due to soil erosion. The issue of land degradation has been most prevalent in Asia, accounting for a significant portion of the total at 48%, followed by Africa at 21%, Latin America and the Caribbean at 15%, Europe at 10%, Oceania at 8%, and North America at 5% [145]. In areas prone to drought, it was estimated that the yield loss of agricultural produce was associated with a significant decrease of 55% [146]. The regions exhibiting the greatest levels of soil erosion were observed in Africa and Asia, predominantly due to the presence of intense precipitation that is highly erosive in nature [120, 122], larger population [123], and despite the loss of natural vegetation, there has been a proportional increase in agricultural land and urban areas [124, 125]. Researchers have shown that soil erosion rates vary widely among countries, continents, and climate zones [28, 112, 118–121]. In conjunction with these alterations, a significant reduction in biodiversity and ecological services has been observed [147–149]. According to a recent scholarly investigation [113], it has been anticipated that there will be an escalation in soil erosion until the water on a global scale by 30–66% by the year 2070 due to the projected alterations in climatic conditions and land use. This phenomenon is expected to have a more pronounced impact on the global poor. This necessitates additional research to enhance our knowledge of the key factors influencing soil erosion throughout a broader variety of geographical areas [142]. This necessitates additional research to enhance our knowledge of the key variables influencing soil erosion over a larger variety of geographical regions. Additional knowledge on land cover and its management practices is of particular importance because it will help with planning, implementing, and evaluating mitigation efforts [150].
