China: Fuping county's soil conservation efforts bear fruit in thriving persimmon industry

China has successfully reduced the total area affected by soil erosion to 2.6 million square kilometers, while simultaneously increasing the country's soil conservation rate to 72.6%, Chen Mingzhong, director general of the Department of Rural Water and Hydropower at the Ministry of Water Resources, recently announced at a press conference. This achievement is a direct result of embracing the philosophy that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, with Zhuangli town in Fuping county, northwest China's Shaanxi province, exemplifying this success. A scene of the soil conservation project in Fuping county, Shaanxi province, June 22, 2024. [Photo by Xu Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn] Zhuangli town has transformed slopes once vulnerable to soil erosion into terraced fields. These terraces now host extensive persimmon tree plantations, which have become a dual driver of economic growth and environmental restoration in the region. "The soil conservation project began in 2010, and ...