The institute of soil and water conservation (ISWC),Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) & Ministry of Water Resources (MWR), was founded in 1956 and was the first scientific research institution established in the Northwest of China by CAS. It came under the direction of CAS and MWR both from 1987. In 1998, ISWC became part of the “Pilot Project of the Knowledge Innovation Program (PPKIP)” in the first group of CAS Institutes. In 1999, ISWC participated in establishing the Northwest A&F University,in accordance with the direction of the State Council. In 2001, ISWC came under the direction of both CAS and the Ministry of Education as the Research Center of Soil & Water Conservation and Ecological Environment. During these years, it has been continually funded by the National Knowledge Innovation Project of CAS and is still managed by CAS as one of its institutes. 

ISWC, based primarily in the Loess Plateau but having a national sphere of influence, principally studies and resolves the important science and technological issues of ecological restoration and environmental improvement in the field of soil and water loss. It aspires to lead the development of Chinese soil and Water conservation science and technology. At the same time, it will provide scientific support for major strategic planning and decision making on soil and Water conservation issues in China. ISWC will strive to have an excellent international reputation among similar research institutions and to become one of wordwide well-known institute in the field of soil and water conservation. At present, ISWC has organized a comprehensive research and extension framework which focuses on the primary task of soil and water conservation science and that is supported by scientific disciplines related to soil science, ecology and agricultural engineering.

ISWC consists of following research departments :The State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on Loess Plateau; National Engineering and Technology Research Center for Water Saving Irrigation at Yangling; the Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation Engineering and Technology of MWR;the Department of Watershed Ecology and Management; the Department of Regional Soil and Water Conservation and Environment; the Department of Forestry and Grassland Ecology.In various representative regions,we has established a number of field stations,they are: the Comprehensive Experimental Station of Soil and Water Conservation of Ansai, the Experiment Station Agro-ecological of Changwu; the Ecological Experiment Station of Guyuan and the Erosion and Environment Station of Shenmu. Additionally, the Institute is well equipped with experimental facilities including a large rainfall simulation laboratory, and a laboratory in which to study arid environments under controlled conditions.

By the end of 2012, ISWC employs 220 staff members,including three academicians in each of the following academies: CAS,the Chinese Academy of Engineering(CAE), and the Eurasian Academy of Science Members.Inadditon, the institute offers Ph.D. and Master degrees in soil science, ecology, soil and water conservation and desertification combating. It has a postdoctoral track with wide-ranging application to agricultural resources.

Since its foundation, ISWC has got a total of more than 500 important achievements in research. In particular, over the last decade, it has been granted thirteen of the first and second Special Prize of the National Science and Technology Advance Award and one of second Natural Science Award, There are over 169 acknowledgements for science and technology achievements from Provincial Government and Ministries. It has provided scientific support for soil conservation, development of dry land farming and ecological restoration. The economic benefit created funding has reached more than 10 billion RMB. As of 2013, the Institute has undertaken 198 research projects including national research projects such as “973”, ”863”, ”948”, National Natural Science Foundation Projects, as well as important and key research projects for CAS.

ISWC has established friendly and worldwide international cooperation with the academic institutions of many countries and regions including the USA, Australia, Japan, Russia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Austria and Israel. China and the USA have jointly established the Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Environment Protection at the Institute. In addition, the administrative office for the Chinese division of the Association of Soil and Water Conservation of the World is located in ISWC.

Director of  ISWC : Prof. Feng Hao