Northwest Qinghai Province has stepped up its efforts to tackle soil erosion to improve its fragile ecological environment. It will invest nearly 100 million yuan (US$12.04 million) to harness 675 square km of areas suffering from soil erosion.

Qinghai, the source area of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers, has a total area of 334,000 square km suffering from soil erosion, which is mainly caused by the effect of high elevation, cold climate, abominable national conditions and human activities. The area suffering from soil erosion accounts for 46 percent of the province's total land area.

Liu Ping'an, director of the provincial bureau for the conservation of water and soil, said that during the past decade, especially in the 1996-2000 period, Qinghai poured large amount of money in harnessing soil erosion. The investment in this regard totaled 120 million yuan (US$14.45 million) in 1999 alone.

Under the support of the central government, more than 6,000 square kilometers of areas suffering from soil erosion in the province have so far been tackled, with 300 square km treated each year.

At the same time, the province has also enhanced protection of natural forest, launched projects to turn farmland into forest and pastures and stressed control of desertification.

(eastday.com 06/19/2001)