TUdi impresses at the 9th International Symposium on Gully Erosion in China

As we mentioned earlier this month, TUdi was a participant in the 9th International Symposium on Gully Erosion (ISGE) which took place between 3-7 November 2023 in Chengdu, China. The conference was attended by around 185 participants from 12 countries.

TUdi was represented by Antonio Hayas, a postdoctoral researcher from our coordinating partner organisation IAS-CSIC, presenting the research “OptCheck: a cost analysis tool for gully control and reclamation” and “A review on gully widening models and its applications”.

The presentation “A review on gully widening models and its applications” was presented within the session “Gully erosion modelling, assessment and prediction”, during which the main gully widening models and its features were highlighted. TUdi’s presentation identified seven main models, which were analysed according to their mechanisms, features, modelling approaches and scales. Four of them were classified into the category of process-based models and the other three as data driven models. In that presentation, the process-based models were shown to be the ones providing the most comprehensive approach, especially those including geotechnical approaches, which will benefit from further development to include wider spatial and temporal scales. 

During the next session, TUdi presented “Optcheck: a cost analysis for gully control and reclamation”, a novel web tool which is used for the analysis of costs associated with the control of different gully's types of check dams. The tool optimises the number, location and heights of the check-dams to minimise the cost related to the control of a gully defined by its length and cross sections. It also enables farmers to find the most suitable option for their requirements among different kinds of check-dams. Optcheck mainly has an educational purpose, training on the best option in relation to proper implementation and optimum use of resources.

TUdi’s participation in this event continues the strengthening of our collaboration between Europe and China in our common goal of improving soil health.

Image: Antonio Hayas presents “Optcheck” - a web tool used for analysing costs in gully control / Credit: CSIC