Soil erosion modelling, should we get back to work?

Current anthropogenic pressures on lands, soil, and water resources lead to the degradation of natural environments, directly affecting human health. One of the most important causes of water and soil resource depletion is soil erosion. Soil erosion directly impacts soil’s ability to provide valuable ecosystems services, but it also contributes to downstream sediment transport with associated water bodies degradation (e.g. excess turbidity, riverbed and coastal water clogging) and associated pollutants transfers in the environment. However, these phenomena are complex and result from the interaction and feedback between choices driven by economic and social forces. There is therefore a strong demand for management tools that can help design and implement remediation strategies at the catchment and landscape scale.

The development of soil erosion modelling methodologies able to reproduce the temporal and spatial dynamics of soil erosion and sediment transfer across catchments in the land-to-sea continuum is thus an essential step towards soil and water resources conservation. However, most modelling studies are based on relatively dated concepts, a majority of which even referring to very simple empirical equations elaborated decades ago. This huge gap between the extent of environmental concerns and the lack of consistent model development is even more surprising given that significant advances have recently been achieved in observation and monitoring technologies, as well as in computational capacity.

In this context, the objective of this study is to describe the different elements that could be investigated to improve our modelling capabilities. We will address the different stages, from field and laboratory experiments; concept development and numerical implementation; to calibration and evaluation procedures. Finally, some recommendations for future research opportunities will be discussed.