Aerial photo taken on Aug. 22, 2021 shows the scenery of Saihanba forest farm in north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Jin Haoyuan)

 BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's water and soil erosion area decreased last year 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 2.65 million square km in 2022, down 20,800 square km, or 0.78 percent, compared with 2021, according to the results of national monitoring of soil and water loss. 

 Of the total, the area of hydraulic erosion is 1.09 million square km, down 1.38 percent year on year. There is also a wind erosion area of 1.56 million square km, down 0.36 percent from a year earlier. 

 The ministry said that it will continue to tackle water and soil erosion in the future.