Consistent monitoring helps improve soil erosion condition

China saw a steady improvement in soil erosion conditions last year, with the total affected area shrinking by nearly 1 percent, the Ministry of Water Resources said.

By the end of last year, more than 2.6 million square kilometers of land was plagued by erosion, down by almost 26,000 square kilometers, according to the ministry's dynamic monitoring of soil and water loss.

The monitoring also showed a decline in erosion severity, with the proportion of areas experiencing moderate or severe soil erosion dropping by 0.28 percentage points year-on-year to 34.26 percent last year.

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region saw the most progress in tackling the issue, with its erosion-affected area shrinking by 2.48 percent — more than 2.5 times the national average, the ministry said.

Most of the improvements occurred in the basins of China's seven major rivers, including the Yangtze and Yellow. More than 73 percent of the total reduction in erosion-affected areas was recorded in these basins, which also accounted for nearly 91 percent of the decline in areas with moderate or severe erosion.

The ministry attributed the improvement in part to strengthened oversight of activities that could trigger erosion. Advances in monitoring methods, including satellite remote sensing, credit-based supervision and internet-based surveillance, have helped authorities promptly detect and precisely identify illegal activities contributing to soil erosion, it said.

"These efforts have consistently enhanced the precision and effectiveness of supervision," the ministry said.

The incidence of soil erosion in areas disturbed by human activity fell to 46.65 percent last year, a sharp decline of 31 percentage points from 2019, the ministry said.

Authorities are also exploring the potential of carbon sink trading — projects that absorb more carbon dioxide than they emit — as a funding source for conservation efforts.

China's first transaction of such a carbon sink took place in late 2023 in the Luodi River basin in Changting county, Fujian province, where a 100,000-metric-ton carbon sink was sold for 1.8 million yuan ($248,300).

All proceeds from the deal will go toward water and soil conservation and ecological restoration in the basin, according to local authorities.

Chen Xian, an official with the Fujian Provincial Department of Water Resources, told Xinhua News Agency that carbon sink trading aligns with China's long-standing directive that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."

Previously, erosion control efforts relied largely on government funding and limited private donations, constraining financial resources, Chen said.

"Carbon sink trading provides a clearer economic incentive for individuals, companies and organizations engaged in water and soil conservation," he said, adding that the mechanism could attract more private investment into conservation efforts.