Home>>Life
Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, June 02, 2002

Soil Degradation Hampers China's Agricultural Development: Experts

Water and soil erosion in China are exerting a serious drag on the country's agricultural growth, according to experts at an international symposium on China's water and soil conservation strategy here Saturday.


PRINT DISCUSSION CHINESE SEND TO FRIEND


Water and soil erosion in China are exerting a serious drag on the country's agricultural growth, according to experts at an international symposium on China's water and soil conservation strategy here Saturday.

China's Vice-Minister of Water Resources Chen Lei told the symposium that China is among the countries suffering from the worst water and soil erosion in the world.

The volume of eroded soil each year may amount to about five billion tons in China, and the soil loss even reaches thousands of tons per square kilometers in certain regions.

China needs to learn advanced theories, technologies and methods from foreign countries in the area of water and soil conservation work, Chen said.

In addition, China should increase its investment in this regard, enhance people's awareness of environmental protection and improve related legislation, said a senior official from the Asia Development Bank.

China raised its investment in water and soil conservation from 30 million yuan (about 3.75 million U.S. dollars) in 1983 to 1.23 billion yuan in 2001, sources said.

Moreover, China enacted its water and soil conservation law in 1991, said Tong Weili, an official with th Chinese Ministry of Water Resources.

More than 800,000 square kilometers of land afflicted by water and soil erosion has been harnessed during the past half century, sources said.

A research program on China's water and soil conservation strategy is currently under way, jointly sponsored by the Asia Development Bank and the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources, which provide 800,000 U.S. dollars and 1.7 million yuan, respectively, to finance the program.


Questions?Comments? Click here
    Advanced






China Wins Int'l Recognition for Soil Conservation

Soil Erosion, Biggest Global Environmental Problem

Vice-Premier Stresses Reconstruction of Environment





>> Full Coverage

 


WTO Entry to Bring China an Annual Increase of 3 Million Employment ( 8 Messages)

Lee Kuan Yew: China to Overtake the US in 2050 ( 132 Messages)

US Taiwan Acts Jeopardize Sino-US Ties: Analysis ( 3 Messages)

Clinton Reaps US$250,000 in 30-Minute Speech in Shenzhen ( 53 Messages)

Miss Russia Wins Miss Universe Title, Miss China Third ( 3 Messages)



Copyright by People's Daily Online, all rights reserved