On October 24, 2023, Prof. Michael Maerker, the one of Editors-in-Chief of International Soil and Water Conservation Research (ISWCR), Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Department, University of Pavia, Italy, visited the IRTCES. Prof. Jianli Zhang, the deputy director of IRTCES, Prof. Duihu Ning, the president of WASWAC, and Prof. Yuehong Chen, the executive editor of the International Journal of Sediment Research attended the welcome meeting. Prof.  Paige  Chyu, the executive editor of the International Soil and Water Conservation Research, took part in the  discussion online.

After the meeting, Prof. Michael Maerker was invited to give a report at the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR).

Discussion

Taking the San Giorgio catchment in Imera River of Sicily, Italy, as an example, the report introduces in detail the current status of soil erosion, stochastic modeling methods, parameter rate-setting process and the comprehensive response of the watershed. Taking the Swaziland sub-watershed in South Africa as an example, the report explains the method of analyzing regional gully erosion by using remote sensing images and GIS, as well as the idea of constructing a comprehensive model of soil erosion including rill erosion, interrill erosion and gully erosion.

Finally, Prof. Michael Maerker objectively analyzed the deficiencies of the existing research in the dynamic change of erosion response unit, regionalization of soil characteristics and precipitation patterns, and construction of early warning system, and put forward the research outlook on the incorporation of other soil erosion types, clarification of sediment migration process in the river channel, and enhancement of the real-time monitoring of water and sediment.

Prof. Michael Maerker’s report