长江上游及西南诸河区横跨我国地貌第1级台阶和第2级台阶，地形起伏显著，构造运动强烈，降雨集中，人类活动强度大，水土流失发育，侵蚀类型多样。该区水土流失的特点有：坡耕地分布广泛，侵蚀强烈，是水土流失的主要来源；泥石流、滑坡量大面广，活动频繁，威胁工程与公共安全；库区水土流失普遍发育，面源污染严重，威胁水库水质；江河源区冻融、水力、风力侵蚀交互作用，草地退化严重，降低生态功能；石漠化过程加剧，危及土地安全，导致区域贫困；工程建设规模巨大，侵蚀产沙剧烈，成为新增水土流失的重要因素。针对该区水土流失的特点，提出如下治理对策：进行以坡改梯和坡面水系建设为主的坡耕地综合整治；重点治理泥石流和滑坡，控制沟谷蚀；建设清洁小流域，综合控制面源污染；改良牧业生产方式，保护草地，修复生态；开展石漠化综合防治，抢救性保护土壤资源；加强水土保持预防监督，落实工程建设水土保持，有效减轻工程建设产生的水土流失。

There are variety of soil erosion in the upper reaches of Yangtze and other rivers in the Southwest of China, located in the transition zone from the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau to the moderate mountains and hills. Remote sensing data of 2000 indicate that the eroded area of 1 324 100 km^2, 54.34% of the total area of the region, among which 700 000 km^2 are of moderate and intense erosion; 281 200 km^2 are of extreme erosion. The main agents of erosive action include freeze-thaw erosion, water erosion, and wind erosion, which covers area 769 200 km^2, 518 000 km^2, and 36 900 km^2 respectively. Soil erosion is widely distributed on the cultivated slopes; debris flows and landslides are the most frequent disasters, threatening structures and public properties; reservoirs are polluted by non-point contaminant transported with the process of soil and water losses ; and grasslands are severely degraded in the source areas of the stream systems and the functions of ecologic barrier are largely weakened ; rocky desertification is extensively expanded as to cause the soil loss and local poverty. In addition, large-scale constructions are enhancing the soil erosion. To prevent from the further erosion, the following strategies are proposed： terracing the slopes and constructing slope water systems; controlling gully erosion and debris flows and landslides ; preventing water pollution by the integrated countermeasures of soil and water conservation; improving cultivation and protecting pasture and ecology; preventing rocky desertification and sandification; emergently preserving soil resources ; reinforcing prevention and censorship in soil and water conservation.