The result of a three-year investigation shows that China's 646 counties are suffering heavy water and soil losses, with a combined area of 3.57 million square kilometers.

The investigation, conducted by 28 academicians and more than 1,000 researchers, found that 82.04 percent of the badly affected counties are in the Yangtze River and Yellow River valleys, and the condition of nearly two million square kilometers is extremely serious and needs urgent treatment.

To appraise the current condition and development trend of the country's water and soil losses, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering jointly carried out the comprehensive investigation on water and soil losses and biological safety, which was the most extensive investigation of the kind in the history of new China.

The report on the investigation said major dangers of water and soil losses include damages to farmland, silting up of rivers and lakes, and deteriorating of ecological system.

The report suggests the country to adopt every possible measure to bring water and soil losses under control in 15 to 20 years, and effectively stop artificial water and soil losses.

(Xinhua News Agency January 25, 2009)