China is suffering severe soil erosion in "the central route" project of the northbound water diversion project, the northeastern part, the northwestern three-river headwaters and the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, according to the Ministry of Water Resources Tuesday.

In the Danjiangkou Reservoir area, located in the headwaters of the south-to-north water diversion project, soil erosion spreads to an area of 39,500 sq km, accounting for 41.5 percent of the area's territory.

In China's northeastern black soil region, 275,900 sq km of land suffers from water, wind and ice erosion, or the area's 26.8 percent.

The three-river headwaters area in the interior northwestern Qinghai Province also has 95,000 sq km of land in soil erosion, or31.1 percent of the area's total territory.

"All the three areas are critical to China's water conservancy," said E Jingping, vice minister of water resources. "The Danjiangkou Reservoir has been playing a crucial part in providing Beijing and Tianjin's safe potable water. Northeast China is a major 'bread basket' and the three-river headwaters area is described as 'China's water tank'."

During the 11th Five-Year Guideline period (2006-2010), the priority of the ministry will be given to water conservation to ensure the sustainable use of water, said the vice minister.

(Xinhua News Agency December 27, 2005)