国内英语新闻:China aims to rehabilitate 250,000 square km of eroded land

NANNING, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- China aims to rehabilitate 250,000 square km of eroded land to make it habitable again by 2015 by intensifying its efforts to deal with water loss and soil erosion, a senior official said Saturday.

The country also aims to build 40 million mu (2.67 million hectares) of agricultural terraces by 2015 to ensure food supplies for 30 million people, Chen Lei, minister of water resources, said at a meeting in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

China has already rehabilitated 1.1 million square km of land, benefiting 150 million residents over the past 10 years.

"Although we have made much headway in controlling water and soil loss,we are still falling short of the country's targets," Chen said.

Nearly one-third of China's land is vulnerable to soil erosion, and the phenomenon is particularly severe in the country's western regions.

Governments at all levels should fully implement the Law on Water and Soil Conservation, allocate funds for reducing soil erosion and strike a balance between preserving the environment and promoting economic growth, Chen said.