Soil Protection and Desertification Prevention Law.

The scope of this Law shall be to regulate relations concerning soil degradation, soil rehabilitation and combating desertification. It shall be applicable to the activities by the government, natural persons, business entities and organizations as regards preventing and protecting soil from desertification. Soil degradation shall be intended loss of fertility, erosion, degradation, pollution and other negative effects caused by human activities. The soil protection law includes measures to prevent desertification from the intensification of agriculture, mining, road construction, and urban land use as well as climate change. The law provides guidance to facilitate a safe and healthy environment for the population, and to prevent soil damage and lower soil fertility from overgrazing and desertification, and systems to prevent soil erosion. The law also contains measures to establish accountability in environmental protection along with more elaboration on soil degradation, desertification gradation criteria and soil assessment methodology. This Law contains 13 Articles. Article 1 defines the scope of the Law. Article 2 specifies soil protection and desertification prevention legislation. Article 3 defines the objectives of the Law. Article 4 gives terms definitions. Article 5 sets forth criteria for the determination of soil degradation and desertification status. Article 6 establishes rights and responsibilities of citizens and legal bodies with regard to soil protection and desertification prevention. Article 7 sets forth soil protection and desertification prevention measures. Article 8 establishes incentives for soil protection and desertification prevention measures. Article 9 regards assessment and analysis of soil erosion, degradation, pollution and desertification. Article 10 sets up database of soil protection and desertification prevention measures. Article 11 regards monitoring and ratification of soil protection and desertification prevention measures. Article 12 regards compensation for soil pollution. Article 13 establishes liabilities for breach of law.