University of Birjand Water Harvesting Research 2476-6976 9 1 2026 03 01 Investigating the Effects of Land Cover Changes on Water Erosion Intensity Using the RUSLE Model in the Sahlabad Watershed 84 95 4115 10.22077/jwhr.2026.11219.1204 EN Fatemeh Jafarpour Department of Environment, Faculty of natural resources and environment, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran. 0000-0002-1946-3860 Elham Yousefi Department of Environment, Faculty of natural resources and environment, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran. 0009-0001-1167-5797 Mohammad Hossein Sayadi Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science, Tehran, 1411813389, Iran. 0009-0004-7734-6031 Journal Article 2026 05 03 Water erosion, especially in dry and semi-arid regions, is one of the most significant environmental challenges, playing a crucial role in the degradation of natural resources. Modeling tools such as RUSLE, in conjunction with GIS for spatial analysis and remote sensing, provide the ability to quantify and map erosion-prone areas. This study was conducted in the Sahlabad watershed to evaluate water erosion intensity and assess the influence of environmental factors, including rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, topography, vegetation cover, and conservation practices. The RUSLE model was applied using meteorological data and spatial information derived from remote sensing and GIS techniques. Ultimately, water erosion intensity was classified into five categories: very low, low, moderate, high, and very high. The respective percentages for each category, from very low to very high erosion, were 79.49%, 0.95%, 8.83%, 10.21%, and 0.50%, respectively. The results highlight the importance of vegetation conservation and appropriate land management practices for reducing soil loss and protecting the Kaji Wetland. To reduce soil loss, preventing cultivation in vulnerable areas and planting Tamarix trees are recommended. https://jwhr.birjand.ac.ir/article_4115_a5ff5d4b0a0d7b3e4d64147037d8c344.pdf