Assessment of hydropedological characteristics at medium-sized landslide sites in Manafwa catchment, Mount Elgon, Uganda

ABSTRACT

Though strongly linked to landslides, hydropedological characteristics are inadequately investigated in Manafwa catchment. This study investigated hydropedological characteristics at medium landslide sites in Manafwa catchment. The design included 12 infiltration experiments that were conducted at each site. To determine the selected soil physical properties, composite soil samples were extracted from the infiltration sites for soil laboratory analysis. Soil cores were extracted to determine saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) and bulk density. The observed high infiltration rates and rapid Ksat underscore the susceptibility of the studied sites to landslide hazards. Additionally, soil organic matter, clay content, and bulk density further contribute to the understanding of the hydropedological factors influencing landslide occurrences. These findings reveal the need for comprehensive investigations into hydropedological characteristics of other landslide categories to assist in landslide risk assessment and management strategies.

KEYWORDS:

• Infiltration rate
• saturated hydraulic conductivity
• soil properties
• medium landslides
• Manafwa catchment
• Uganda

Editor K. Soulis; Associate Editor (not assigned)

Editor K. Soulis; Associate Editor (not assigned)

Acknowledgements

The first author gratefully acknowledges Water, Society, and Climate Change (WaSo) for their partial financial support towards this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data belongs to the project and will be shared by the corresponding author on request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation through the Water and Society (WASO) Project Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.