The Secretariat of the Project Steering Committee, China Watershed Management, sends an eleven-member investigation group  including directors and other leading officials from the project implementation offices of Shanxi Province, Shaanxi Province, Gansu Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which are all located in Loess Plateau area to do investigation on the World Bank loan soil and water conservation(SWC) projects in Yangtze River basin. The investigation lasts from August 5th to 14th, 2007. 
The investigation aims to learn about the participation-oriented measure and experience of the watersheds management, the supervision and the evaluation technology, the organization and management of projects and watershed planning concerning both ecology and people’s livelihood. The investigation group firstly visits projects in Chongqing — the SWC ecological park, which is a sub-project of the key SWC project in the upper Yangtze reaches, the Linglong SWC ecological park in Yubei district, the area of the key SWC project in the upper Yangtze reaches in Wanzhou district and the area of watershed management of Daning Lake basin in Wushan county. The group turns to Hubei Province to visit the watershed management area in Yilin district of Changyi city and the key SWC projects in the upper Yangtze reaches in Taipingxi river basin and Dagou river basin. The group attends discussions and communications with the project implementation offices of the Changjiang River Water Resource Committee, offices in Hubei Province, Chongqing and the visited districts and counties respectively. 
The ten-day investigation gives the group a good knowledge of the preparation, measure, investment structure, project management and the development of the World Bank loan projects in Yangtze River basin, a good master over the variety and arrangement of the SWC measures and a deeper understanding of the participation-oriented watershed management measure and its implementation. The group carries out extensive and thorough discussion on the inspection and acceptance of project, account render, supervision, on-lending and repayment of loan in the implementation of the project.
Besides, the investigation helps to distinguish the similarities and differences between the World Bank loan project in Yangtze River basin and the “China-Loess Plateau Watershed Rehabilitation Project”, shows the new development trend of the World Bank loan projects and encourages a better preparation of the projects and a better comprehension of the latest policies and regulations of World Bank. 
During the communications and discussions, suggestions to solve the problems existing in the projects under construction are proposed accordingly, for example, the sustainable development of SWC projects, the combination of SWC and people’s livelihood in rural area, the application of participation-oriented measure in SWC ecological project, the establishment of the highly-efficient administrative departments, the relationship between the SWC project and the rural social and economic development and the construction of community, and etc.
The investigation demonstrates that the right notion and good concept is the key for the SWC and its development, the adjustment of measures to local conditions is the precondition for improving the management and development of SWC and the successful demonstration is the fundament for the improvement of the SWC industry’s status and the establishment of the industry’s reputation. 
The investigation also accelerates the initiation and preparation of the period three of the “China-Loess Plateau Watershed Rehabilitation Project”. It provides a good opportunity for the project implementation offices of the two watersheds (Yangtze River and Loess Plateau watershed) to exchange experience and measures taken and explores a channel for further communication in the future. Based on the investigation and the background of China’s strong support for the ecological construction, we will continue our concerted and unremitting efforts to achieve further successes in the SWC ecological construction in Loess Plateau area with full confidence. 

APPENDIX： 1. The Investigation Report of  the Project Implement Office 

                         2. The Investigation Report of Gansu PPMO

                         3. The Investigation Report of Shanxi PPMO

                         4. The Investigation Report of Shaanxi PPMO

                         5. The Investigation Report of Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region PMO