BEIJING — China's water and soil erosion area continued to decrease in 2021 amid the country's efforts to restore the ecological environment, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.

The country's water and soil erosion area stood at 2.67 million square km in 2021, down 18,500 square km, or 0.69 percent, compared with 2020, according to monitoring data on soil and water loss analyzed by the ministry.

Among the total, the area of hydraulic erosion is 1.11 million square km, down 1.27 percent year-on-year. There is also a wind erosion area of 1.57 million square km, down 0.27 percent from a year earlier.

The ministry said that in the future it will work with other relevant departments to strictly control water and soil loss caused by human activities, strengthen forest and grassland restoration efforts, and elevate the level of scientific governance to tackle water and soil erosion.