Key Data Results of the Third National Land Survey Released

On August 25 2021, the Office of the Leading Group of the Third National Land Survey of the State Council, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the National Bureau of Statistics jointly issued a bulletin on the main data of the Third National Land Survey. As a major national survey taken in recent years, the Survey is a fundamental investigation of natural resources conducted in a unified manner since the reform of the state institutions.

Aerial photo shows farmers sowing at a peanut farm in Yangjiatuo Village of Luanzhou City in North China's Hebei Province, April 18, 2021. Photo: Xinhua

In terms of arable land protection, the Survey shows that the country had 1.918 billion mu of arable land at the end of 2019. The National Land Planning Outline (2016 - 2030) issued by the State Council in 2017 set the national arable land retention target at 1.865 billion mu by 2020 and 1.825 billion mu by 2030. It can be said that, at the national level, the current amount of arable land is controlled within the target task of arable land retention. However, considering the state of the ecological construction and socioeconomic development, it is still necessary to adhere to the strictest arable land protection requirements.

In terms of ecological construction, the Survey shows that during the 10-year period, there was a net increase of 260 million mu in forestland, grassland, wetland, river water surface, and lake water surface, which displays the positive results achieved in ecological construction. At the same time, the Survey also reflects that during the past 10 years, 229 million mu of arable land nationwide have been transferred to forestland, grassland, wetland, river water surface, lake water surface, and other land types with strong ecological functions, while 217 million mu of the abovementioned land types have been transferred to arable land. It indicates that the current pattern of land use and ecological construction in China is still unstable in local areas. Some places also reveal the blindness of ecological construction and the irrational ecological layout.

With regard to the use construction land, the Third Survey shows that the total amount of construction land nationwide was 613 million mu, with an increase of 128 million mu, or 26.5%, compared with the Second Survey. During the same period, the gross domestic product grew by 109.4%, and the urbanization rate increased from 48.34% to 62.71%. Overall, the increase of construction land was generally compatible with the demand for land development. The total urban construction land reached 155 million mu, with a large amount of inefficient and unused land in some places; the total village construction land reached 329 million mu, with a large amount in unreasonable layout and insufficient use which has a large potential for revitalization and reutilization. These are precisely the points for promoting the intensive and efficient use of construction land in the future.

 ^1. Mu (亩) is a Chinese unit of areas. 1 mu equals to 666.667 m2. 

Article source: From China City Planning Review, 2021, 30(4), pp. 4.

Photo source: Xinhua

Edited by Liang Xiuchun