East China province steps up fight against soil erosion

Authorities in east China's Jiangxi province on Friday vowed to make greater efforts to prevent soil erosion.

Just over 20 percent of the province's territory is currently suffering from soil erosion, Sun Xiaoshan, head of the provincial water resources department, said at a press conference.

Excessive erosion is threatening both the province's economic development and environment, as it causes land degradation, decreases agricultural productivity and causes sediment to build up in waterways and reservoirs, which can worsen droughts and floods, according to the press conference.

Each year, more than 8 million tonnes of soil and sand are washed into Poyang Lake, the country's largest freshwater lake, Sun said.

To fight erosion, the province has revised its regulations concerning soil and water conservation, which is set to go into effect on Sept. 1, said Sun.

According to the new regulations, government officials will be punished if they fail to complete tasks related to erosion prevention.

Provincial authorities will analyze soil erosion at least once every five years to assess the effectiveness of their efforts, according to the regulation.

The regulation also forbids sand and stone collecting in landslide-prone areas, with a maximum fine of 200,000 yuan (31,750 U.S. dollars) for any violators.