Evaluation of natural hazard of Inaouene Watershed River in Northeast of Morocco: Application of Morphometric and Geographic Information System approaches

In Morocco, the impact of global climates changes, mainly the climatic hazards, was observed during the last decade on the environmental, agricultural and economical area in Morocco. However, scares are studies carried out to quantify and describe the negative effect of climatic hazards on the stability and the conservation of soil, water and bioresources, including the principal watersheds highly exposed to erosion phenomenon. The present research aim's the prioritization of the erosion risk in the basin of Inaouene, situated in the northeast of Morocco. The application of Remote Sensed Data allowed the determination and delineation of thirteen sub-watersheds. The morphometric analysis using different parameters (linear, sharps parameters and relief aspects) and ranking of each estimated parameter for each subbasin allowed the classification of these sub-watersheds in three prioritization categories regarding the priority for conservation and management of resource. High priority was assigned to the SBV01, SBV04, SBV05, SBV06, SBV11 and SBV12, which are subject to a maximum soil erosion, medium priority for the SBV02, SBV03, SBV07, SBV08, SBV09 and SBV10, and low priority for SBV13. The group with high priority is concerned by high risk of erosion and soil degradation, stressing immediate action to prevent possible natural hazards. Special attention for the sub-watersheds SBV05 and SBV06 characterized by very low compound value (CP) are very susceptible to erosion risk. These sub-basins are of highest priority and needs urgent interventions to protect the soil. These sub-basins were integrated as data base together with morphometric parameters, into geographical information systems in order to establish different maps showing subwatersheds with high risk of erosion.