From Oct 2 to 4, 2006, the 2nd international symposium on Soil Erosion and Dry-land farming has been held in Yangling, Shaanxi, under the co-sponsorship of CAS and MWR-Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, USDA-National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory, USDA-National Sedimentation Laboratory, World Association of Soil and Water Conservation, and Northwest A&F University.

The topics of the symposium are as follows: “soil erosion processes, assessment, and control”, “mechanism and techniques of ecological rehabilitation”, “sustainable soil and water resource management in semi-arid areas”, “improvement of water use efficiency in dry-land farming systems”, “impacts of global climate change on soil erosion and dry-land farming”, “new technology in soil conservation and dry-land farming”.

At the opening ceremony on Oct.2 , Prof. Samram Sombapanit, director of the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation, Prof. Robert Horton of the IOWA State University, CSIRO Earth Observation Centre, Dr. David Jupp, CSIRO Earth Observation Centre, Australia, researcher Tang Keli of InternationaI Academy of Sciences for Europe and Asia( IASEA), Shanlun , Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, were invited to give keynote speeches on the progress and current situations relating to world soil and water conservation, soil erosion and dry-land farming. In addition, more than 70 experts home and abroad also made reports in branch halls on soil erosion, regional soil and water conservation, sustainable water and soil resource utilization, ecological rehabilitation, dry-land farming, application of new technology, etc. During the session, the representatives actively voiced their opinions, and the audience listened attentively and enthusiastically asked questions, there was a warm atmosphere. Through full discussion, constructive approaches were brought forward for ecological construction and soil erosion management. The symposium successfully met its expected goal.

More than 160 expert from home and abroad attended the symposium. The symposium has collected 232 abstracts and 82 full papers from 37 foreign representatives in 15 Europen, American and Asian countries and 182 representatives from China.