Characteristics and tendencies of the Gumanti Valley rainfall pattern towards erosivity as a mitigation effort in facing the threat of climate hazards

Abstract

Rainfall is one of the most important climatic parameters in the agricultural sector. Each raindrop contains kinetic energy that can destroy soil particles and carry them away to lower places. Nutrients located in the top layer of soil are susceptible to erosion, which decreases soil productivity. Rainfall patterns are formed due to global, regional, and local factors that influence them. Changes in rainfall patterns will affect erosivity. The rainfall data used in this study came from the cooperation rain post of the West Sumatra Climatology Station located in Lembah Gumanti. Linear regression was used to assess the rainfall trend and Bols erosivity to calculate the effect of rainfall on erosion. The trend of rainfall in the Lembah Gumanti from 2014–2022 showed a value of +0.195, and the largest erosivity value occurred in 2020 as a result of the La Nina climate phenomenon. This research shows that an increase in rainfall will be followed by an increase in erosivity. High erosivity is feared to threaten the availability of soil nutrients, so mitigation efforts need to be made in anticipation of the threat of climate hazards for agricultural areas located in the highlands, such as the Lembah Gumanti region.