Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 3 (Xinhua) Recently, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council issued the Opinions on Strengthening the Work of Soil and Water Conservation in the New Era, and issued a notice requiring all regions and departments to earnestly implement it in combination with the actual situation.
The full text of Opinions on Strengthening Soil and Water Conservation in the New Era is as follows.
Water and soil conservation is the fundamental measure of river protection and management, and is the inevitable requirement of ecological civilization construction. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China's water and soil conservation work has achieved remarkable results. The area and intensity of water and soil loss continue to show a "double decline" trend. However, the effectiveness of water and soil loss prevention and control in China is not stable, and the prevention and control task is still arduous. The Twentieth National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) emphasized that promoting green development and harmonious coexistence between man and nature put forward new and higher requirements for soil and water conservation. In order to strengthen the work of soil and water conservation in the new era, the following suggestions are put forward.
1、 General requirements
（1） Guiding ideology. With the promotion of high-quality development as the theme, and the reform and innovation of the system and mechanism as the starting point, accelerate the construction of a water and soil conservation work pattern with the leadership of the Party committee, the responsibility of the government, the coordination of departments, and the participation of the whole society, comprehensively improve the water and soil conservation function and the supply capacity of ecological products, and provide strong support for promoting the harmonious coexistence of human and nature.
（2） Work requirements
——Adhere to ecological priority and protection. Respecting nature, conforming to nature, protecting nature, changing from excessive intervention and utilization to natural restoration and recuperation, establishing a strict system of prevention, protection and supervision of water and soil loss, maintaining the natural ecological security boundary, and improving the quality and stability of the ecosystem.
——Adhere to problem orientation and ensure people's livelihood. Adhere to the people-centered development concept, focus on solving the most immediate and realistic interests of the people in the field of water and soil conservation, give full play to the ecological, economic and social benefits of water and soil conservation, and constantly enhance the people's sense of gain, happiness and security.
——Adhere to systematic governance and comprehensive implementation of policies. Starting from the integrity of the ecosystem and the systematicness of the river basin, following the natural and objective laws, comprehensively promote the comprehensive management of mountains, forests, fields, lakes, grass and sand, systematic management, and source management, and implement policies in a scientific manner according to local conditions, and work tirelessly and for a long time.
——Adhere to reform and innovation and stimulate vitality. Adhere to the dual efforts of the government and the market, give full play to the decisive role of the market in the allocation of resources, better play the role of the government, deepen the innovation of the water and soil conservation system and mechanism, strengthen the systematic integration of reform measures and precise implementation of policies, and further enhance the momentum and vitality of development.
（3） Main objectives. By 2025, the water and soil conservation system and working system will be improved, the management efficiency will be further improved, the man-made water and soil loss will be effectively controlled, the water and soil loss in key areas will be effectively controlled, the water and soil loss situation will continue to improve, and the national water and soil conservation rate will reach 73%. By 2035, a systematic, coordinated and efficient water and soil conservation system and mechanism will be fully formed, man-made water and soil loss will be fully controlled, water and soil loss in key areas will be comprehensively controlled, the national water and soil conservation rate will reach 75%, and the water and soil conservation function of the ecosystem will be significantly enhanced.
2、 Comprehensively strengthen the prevention and protection of water and soil loss
（4） Focus on the prevention and control of water and soil loss sources. According to the requirements of land space planning and use control, establish a space control system for water and soil conservation, and implement differentiated protection and control measures. The important ecological function areas of water and soil conservation and the sensitive and vulnerable areas of water and soil loss will be included in the ecological protection red line, and strict control will be implemented to reduce the occupation of natural ecological space by human activities. Relevant planning involves infrastructure construction, mineral resources development, urban construction, public service facilities construction, etc. If water and soil loss may occur during the implementation process, countermeasures and measures for prevention and control of water and soil loss shall be proposed, and opinions of water administrative departments at the same level shall be solicited.
（5） Strengthen prevention and protection in key areas. We will make overall arrangements and accelerate the implementation of major projects for the protection and restoration of important ecosystems, and promote the integrated ecological protection and restoration of national key ecological functional areas, ecological protection red lines, natural reserves and other regions. The prevention and protection of water and soil loss will be carried out in an all-round way, focusing on the headwaters of rivers, important water sources, water and wind erosion crisscross areas and other areas. Strengthen the conservation and protection of areas such as freezing and thawing erosion at high altitudes and wind erosion of concentrated and continuous sandy land that do not have the conditions for soil and water loss control and are not suitable for development and utilization due to ecological protection.
（6） Improve the water and soil conservation function of the ecosystem. We will focus on consolidating and improving the quality and stability of the forest and grassland ecosystems as the focus of the prevention and protection of water and soil loss, prohibit illegal reclamation, strengthen the protection and restoration of natural forests and grasslands, implement the system of grazing prohibition, grazing and livestock balance, and give full play to the function of forest and grass water and soil conservation. Focusing on the protection of farmland ecosystem, we will improve the fallow rotation system of farmland, strengthen the protection and improvement of farmland quality, promote the construction of high-standard farmland, improve the farmland irrigation and drainage system, build farmland protection forests according to local conditions, and improve soil conservation capacity. Implement urban renewal actions, promote urban water and soil conservation and ecological restoration, strengthen the protection of mountains, forests, water bodies and wetlands, maintain the authenticity and integrity of landscape ecology, and promote the construction of green cities.
3、 Strictly supervise and control man-made soil erosion according to law
（7） We will improve the regulatory system and standards. Implement the water and soil conservation plan system of production and construction projects according to law, and strengthen the supervision of the whole chain and process. According to the characteristics of different regions and industries, the differentiated and targeted requirements are clarified, and classified and precise supervision is carried out. We will improve the prevention and control standards for water and soil loss in agricultural and forestry development and other production and construction activities, and implement supervision in strict accordance with the standards. Deepen the reform of "release, management and service", continue to promote the standardization, standardization and facilitation of water and soil conservation approval services, further optimize the business environment, and cultivate and stimulate the vitality of market entities.
（8） Innovate and improve supervision methods. Establish a new regulatory mechanism based on remote sensing supervision as the basic means, key supervision as the supplement, and credit supervision. Carry out remote sensing supervision of water and soil conservation with full coverage and normalization, comprehensively monitor, timely detect and accurately judge others as water and soil loss, and strictly investigate and deal with relevant violations according to laws and regulations. We will strengthen the punishment of ecological damage that causes water and soil loss, and strictly investigate the liability for ecological damage compensation in accordance with laws and regulations. The credit evaluation of water and soil conservation will be fully implemented. Deeply promote "Internet plus+supervision", actively promote remote video supervision based on enterprise independent monitoring and other methods. Strengthen the tracking and early warning of man-made water and soil loss risk, improve the precision and intelligence level of supervision, and promote the realization of risk-free non-interference, low-risk pre-warning, and medium-high risk strict monitoring.
（9） Strengthen collaborative supervision. We will strengthen inter-departmental collaborative supervision and joint law enforcement, and establish and improve systems for sharing regulatory information, interconnecting illegal clues, and reporting and transferring cases. Strengthen the connection between the administrative law enforcement of water and soil conservation and criminal justice, and the cooperation with procuratorial public interest litigation, and give full play to the role of judicial security and supervision. We will improve the communication mechanism with the discipline inspection and supervision authorities, and promptly transfer the clues of suspected violations of discipline and law found by Party members, cadres and public officials to the discipline inspection and supervision authorities. Open up the channels for public supervision and reporting, and play the role of social supervision. Strengthen the construction of water and soil conservation supervision capacity, improve the level of specialization and the application ability of modern scientific and technological means, and ensure the necessary funds and equipment investment.
（10） Strengthen the implementation of corporate responsibilities. The production and construction unit shall perform the responsibility of prevention and control of water and soil loss according to law, and strictly implement the requirements of "three simultaneities" of water and soil conservation (water and soil conservation facilities shall be designed, constructed and put into operation simultaneously with the main works). Vigorously promote green design and green construction, strictly control the occupation of arable land and surface disturbance, prohibit indiscriminate mining, digging, piling and discarding, fully implement the requirements of surface soil resource protection, waste residue reduction and comprehensive utilization, and minimize the possible water and soil loss. The competent department of production and construction projects should strengthen industry guidance.
4、 Accelerate the key control of water and soil loss
（11） We will comprehensively promote comprehensive treatment of small watersheds to improve quality and efficiency. We will coordinate production and living ecology, and comprehensively carry out comprehensive treatment of small watersheds in key areas of water and soil loss such as the upper and middle reaches of large rivers, the black soil area in the northeast, the karst area in the southwest, the water source area of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project, and the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. All localities should integrate the comprehensive treatment of small watersheds into the economic and social development plan and the rural revitalization plan, establish an overall coordination mechanism, and promote the integration of the whole ditch, the whole village, the whole township and the whole county with the watershed water system as the unit. With the goal of green mountains, clean water, beautiful villages and rich people, and focusing on the water system, villages and the surrounding areas of cities and towns, we will vigorously promote the construction of ecological clean small watersheds, promote the organic combination of comprehensive treatment of small watersheds with the improvement of agricultural comprehensive production capacity, the development of characteristic industries, and the improvement of rural human settlements, and provide more ecological products with better water and soil conservation functions.
（12） Vigorously promote the control of soil and water loss on slope farmland. Focusing on farmland protection, food security and non-point source pollution prevention and control, focusing on grain production functional areas and important agricultural product production protection areas, we will vigorously implement soil and water loss control projects on slope farmland and improve the construction standards and quality. Accelerate the control of soil and water loss on slope farmland in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River, improve the field roads, slope water systems and other supporting measures according to local conditions, and improve the quality and efficiency of farmland. We will promote the construction of dryland terraces on the Loess Plateau, strengthen rainwater harvesting and utilization, and develop efficient dryland agriculture. We will strengthen the control of soil and water loss in slope farmland and erosion ditches in the black soil region of Northeast China, promote the construction of conservation tillage and high-standard farmland as a whole, and protect the black soil resources. If conditions permit, the control of soil and water loss on gentle slope farmland and the construction of high standard farmland should be planned and implemented simultaneously.
（13） We will do a good job in controlling water and soil loss in areas where sediment is concentrated. Focusing on reducing sediment inflow into the river, we should focus on the comprehensive treatment of the Yellow River's sandy and coarse sediment areas, especially the areas where the coarse sediment is concentrated, vigorously carry out the construction of high-standard silting dams on the Loess Plateau, strengthen the reinforcement of dangerous silting dams and the upgrading and reconstruction of old silting dams, and implement the ditch consolidation and plateau protection project. We will actively promote the comprehensive control of landslides in the hilly and mountainous areas of the south, and protect and rationally use water and soil resources.
5、 Improve the ability and level of water and soil conservation management
（14） Improve the water and soil conservation planning system. We will implement the national water and soil conservation plan, formulate the water and soil conservation plan for major river basins across the country, and promote the coordinated management of the upper, middle and lower reaches, left and right banks, and trunk and tributaries. Local governments at all levels shall, in accordance with the national and watershed water and soil conservation plans, formulate or revise the water and soil conservation plans of their administrative regions in a timely manner, reasonably determine the water and soil conservation objectives, and clarify the layout and tasks of water and soil loss prevention and control. Strengthen the follow-up, monitoring and evaluation of planning implementation.
（15） Improve the construction and management mechanism of water and soil conservation projects. Innovate the organization and implementation of key water and soil loss control projects, and optimize the project approval process. Actively promote the construction mode of compensation with awards and relief with work, give full play to the role of village-level organizations, land users and contractors, and support and guide the participation of social capital and the people in the governance area in the project construction. We will improve the management and protection system of governance achievements, clarify the management and protection subject and implement the management and protection responsibilities in accordance with the principles of "who uses, who manages" and "who benefits, who is responsible". Establish the government and beneficiary sharing mechanism for project operation and maintenance costs.
（16） Strengthen the assessment of water and soil conservation. Implement the target responsibility system and assessment reward and punishment system of local government for water and soil conservation, and take the assessment results as an important reference for the comprehensive assessment and accountability of the leading group and cadres, and the audit of natural resources assets. Units and individuals that have made outstanding achievements in the work of water and soil conservation shall be commended and rewarded in accordance with the relevant provisions of the State.
（17） Strengthen monitoring and evaluation of water and soil conservation. Establish a water and soil conservation monitoring system based on monitoring station monitoring, dominated by normalized dynamic monitoring and supplemented by regular surveys, improve soil erosion models in national and key regions, deepen monitoring and evaluation, forecast and early warning, and give full play to the important role of water and soil conservation monitoring in the monitoring and evaluation of ecosystem protection effectiveness. Optimize the layout of water and soil conservation monitoring stations and networks, divide them according to their powers, clarify the central and local expenditure responsibilities, and improve the operation mechanism. Carry out dynamic monitoring of soil and water loss in the country on an annual basis, and timely and quantitatively grasp the soil and water loss status and prevention and control results in all administrative regions, key river basins and regions in the country. Establish the measurement system of water and soil conservation monitoring equipment to ensure the quality of monitoring data.
（18） Strengthen scientific and technological innovation in water and soil conservation. Promote the deep integration of remote sensing, big data, cloud computing and other modern information technologies with water and soil conservation, strengthen the information sharing and inter-departmental interconnection of water and soil conservation supervision and monitoring, and improve the level of digitalization, networking and intelligence of management. Strengthen basic research and key technology research around the law and mechanism of water and soil loss, the relationship between water and soil conservation and water and sediment, and the carbon sink capacity of water and soil conservation. Support the construction of scientific and technological innovation platforms such as key laboratories in the field of soil and water conservation, field scientific observation and research stations, and promote the transformation and promotion of scientific and technological achievements.
6、 Safeguards
（19） Strengthen organizational leadership. Adhere to and strengthen the Party's overall leadership over water and soil conservation, and implement the working mechanism of overall planning by the central government, overall responsibility by the province, and implementation by the cities, counties and townships. Local Party committees and governments at all levels should earnestly shoulder the responsibility of water and soil conservation, further strengthen the organization construction, team construction and system construction, clarify the objectives, tasks and specific measures, promote the solution of key and difficult problems, and ensure that the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council are implemented.
（20） Strengthen overall planning and coordination. Establish an inter-ministerial coordination mechanism for water and soil conservation, strengthen coordination and cooperation, and form a working force. The Ministry of Water Resources should earnestly fulfill the responsibilities of the competent department, give full play to the leading organization and overall coordination role, strengthen the unified planning, unified governance and unified management of the river basin management agencies, and strengthen the joint prevention and control of cross-regional water and soil loss. The departments of development and reform, finance, natural resources, ecological environment, agriculture and rural areas, forestry and grassland should do a good job according to the division of responsibilities, strengthen the coordination of policy support, and promote the implementation of key tasks. Local governments at all levels should establish and improve coordination mechanisms, study and solve important problems, and do a good job of supervising and implementing them.
（21） Strengthen investment guarantee. The central government will continue to support the work of soil and water conservation. Local governments at all levels should raise funds from various channels to ensure investment in water and soil conservation. Comprehensive use of property rights incentives, financial support and other policies to support and guide social capital and qualified farmers cooperatives, family farms and other new agricultural business entities to carry out soil erosion control. For the relevant implementing entities that carry out water and soil loss control in a centralized and continuous manner to achieve a certain scale and the expected goal of ecological restoration, they are allowed to obtain a certain share of the right to use natural resources assets according to law and regulations and engage in relevant industrial development. The cultivated land that can be used stably for a long time due to siltation of warping dams and erosion of gullies, collapse of hills and rocky desertification control shall be used for the balance of occupation and compensation of cultivated land according to the procedure. Establish the value realization mechanism of soil and water conservation ecological products, and study the incorporation of soil and water conservation carbon sinks into the greenhouse gas voluntary emission reduction trading mechanism. Formulate and improve the evaluation indicators and accounting methods of carbon sink capacity of water and soil conservation, and improve the standard system of water and soil conservation. Encourage and guide citizens, legal persons and other organizations to participate in the work of water and soil conservation in the form of donations and grants.
（22） Strengthen publicity and education. Take various forms to widely carry out publicity and education on water and soil conservation, and popularize laws, regulations and relevant systems on water and soil conservation. Strengthen the discipline construction of water and soil conservation. We will integrate water and soil conservation into the national education system and the training system for leading cadres of the Party and government, strengthen the interpretation of laws by cases and the warning of cases, and guide the whole society to strengthen the awareness of water and soil conservation. Carry out the establishment of national soil and water conservation demonstration and strengthen the popularization of science and cultural construction of soil and water conservation. Strengthen international exchange and cooperation and tell the "Chinese story" of soil and water conservation.