The area of land that suffers from soil erosion in the Yangtze River valley has been reduced by 146,000 square kilometers, a drop of 27 percent since 2000, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.

Protective measures have been applied to 70,000 square km of land along China's longest river since 2011, when the Law on Water and Soil Conservation took effect,the ministry said.

Local governments have allotted millions of yuan to the cause. Chongqing municipality has planted trees on slopes, constructed terraced fields to retain water, installed irrigation facilities, and funded fruit and vegetable cultivation to stabilize the soil.

Wang Zewen, a farmer in Chongqing's Zhongxian county, started to plant nectarines in 2012.

"The government has spent big money on irrigation facilities for my village. It has had a great effect in improving the environment," he said.

The county's moves have reduced the amount of mud and sand slipping into the Yangtze by seven million cubic meters every year.

The Ministry of Water Resources plans to plant trees or use other protective measures on a further 85,000 square km of land along the river by 2020.