Xinhua News Agency:

The soil erosion problem in China is one of the most severe in the world. Over the past decade, what achievements have been made in comprehensively controlling soil erosion? What are the subsequent plans? Thank you.

Yao Wenguang:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, departments responsible for water resources at all levels have implemented Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and firmly upheld and practiced the notion that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets to advance the comprehensive control of soil erosion. Thanks to these efforts, the area and intensity of soil erosion in the country have declined, and the erosion caused by water and wind also dropped. Around 2.6742 million square kilometers of land experienced soil erosion in China in 2021, a decrease of 274,900 square kilometers from the 2011 level, with the share of land areas experiencing severe soil erosion, or worse, falling to 18.93%. The water and soil conservation rate hit 72.04%. 

China has made remarkable progress over the past decade in soil erosion control, especially in intensity, speed and efficiency. These efforts have laid a solid foundation for building an ecological civilization. Over the past 10 years, we have prioritized prevention and control to reduce soil erosion as much as possible. We have tightened supervision according to the law and ensured that around 500,000 projects have implemented soil erosion prevention and control policies, thereby effectively reducing potential soil erosion caused by human activity. We have practiced comprehensive management to reduce soil erosion. Following the national strategy, we have promoted major water and soil conservation projects in light of actual conditions, with 580,000 square kilometers of land with soil erosion being treated. We have put people and their lives first and endeavored to ensure that soil erosion prevention and control will promote agricultural production and the development of local specialty industries. For example, we have made efforts to control soil erosion in Dingxi city of Gansu province, Ganzhou city of Jiangxi province and the northern part of Shaanxi province, where planting potatoes, navel oranges and apples have become local specialty industries. As such, more than 10 million people living in poverty nationwide have benefited from soil erosion control, with an annual income increase of about 5 billion yuan. Thanks to these efforts, those places with unfavorable natural conditions have transformed into areas with lucid waters and lush mountains, generating remarkable economic benefits. 

In the new stage of development, we will implement the new development philosophy in a thorough, accurate and comprehensive manner, accelerating institutional reform and innovation. We will ramp up efforts to prevent and control soil erosion, and enhance supervision and management, to promote a comprehensive green transition of economic and social development. We will scientifically advance comprehensive soil erosion control and implement the small river basin ecological improvement policy. We will rejuvenate the ecological environment of rivers and lakes, and improve the quality and stability of the ecosystem, to offer more high-quality environmental products. All these efforts will serve as solid support for the building of a beautiful China. Thank you!