Slope Protection and Soil Conservation: Building Resilient Landscapes

Focuses on technical expertise while promoting environmental responsibility.

Numerous actions have already been taken to improve the environment's declining state. However, a lot of work needs to be done meticulously and implemented. Applying engineering techniques is necessary to enhance environmental quality from a wider angle. The creation of green cover and ecological balance through the preservation of arid slopes that eventually erode and become unstable is one such area that is disregarded by the majority of the infrastructural and industrial sectors.

There is an urgent need to replace conventional materials in all applications with sustainable and eco-friendly infrastructure solutions. The establishment of green cover and ecological balance through the maintenance of parched slopes, which eventually erode and become unstable, is one such resource that is disregarded by the vast majority of the industrial and infrastructure sectors. The two primary factors causing the slope to slide are its instability and the absence of vegetation cover.

The use of live vegetation, either by itself or in combination with non-living plant materials and civil engineering buildings, is known as the "bio-engineering technique." Its goal is to lessen erosion and shallow-seated instability on slopes. A key component of bioengineering is vegetation; the plants' beneficial mechanical and hydrological qualities can be used to achieve engineering qualities that stabilize the slope and reduce erosion.

 This method applies to a wide range of soil stabilization and erosion control scenarios, including quarry and dumping site restoration, gully/stream bank or lakefront protection, and landslide rehabilitation. In industrialized nations, this bio-engineering method is widely used and acknowledged for restoring environmentally sensitive project sites for infrastructure development and environmental preservation.

Across many places, steep topography and unstable soils pose major dangers to communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Erosion, landslides, and soil degradation not only impair agricultural output but also affect water quality, biodiversity, and human safety. Strong, empirically supported strategies for stabilizing landscapes and ensuring long-term resilience include slope preservation and soil conservation.

Because of gravity, water flow, and weathering, slopes are inherently prone to erosion. Slope collapse is far more likely when it is coupled with deforestation, poor land management, or extreme rainfall events brought on by climate change. Typical outcomes consist of:

1. Fertile topsoil loss

2. Sedimentation and landslides

3. Increased runoff and less water infiltration.

4. Damage to infrastructure. Declining crop yields and food insecurity

5. Declining crop yields and food insecurity

Coconut fibre erosion mats and Natural fibre slope covers

One such product is the Geogreen blanket®, created by Sri Venkateshwara Fibre Udyog Private Limited in Bengaluru. They have a strong and top-notch R&D team and have been the first to produce items made from coconut fibre husks for the past 35 years. Because it is composed of naturally occurring, biodegradable coconut fibres, the Geogreen blanket is environmentally friendly.

Geogreen Coir erosion control mat and natural erosion control methods

·       Are GeoGreen blankets suitable for highways and riverbanks?

• Coir geotextiles are the most appropriate material in such instances.

• It's one of the most promising eco-engineering trends for 2025.

• It is biodegradable and requires no upkeep. It promotes the development of plants. 

• Its installation process is quick and compact.

• The coir erosion control blanket outperformed other traditional erosion control technologies.

• These are utilized in numerous road, railway, and other projects to protect slopes and control erosion.

• They are a low-impact road construction tool and a climate-resilient engineering practice.

• These are useful for highways, turfs, high slopes, medium slopes, and along river banks.

·       Applications of biodegradable erosion control mats

·       Soil erosion control products

The use of coir in natural erosion control methods is cost-effective and self-sufficient.  Geogreen blanket® possesses the exclusive property of providing suitable strength over time as the roots grow further, entangling with each other, thereby increasing its structural stability. Especially in the case of those areas that have less access, this method proves to be compatible enough under all circumstances.