The following areas shall be delimited as designated soil and conservation areas:
1.Reservoir watershed; and
2.River watershed that are subject to special protection; and
3.Coasts, the riparian zones of lakes and reservoirs, or banks of waterways that are subject to special protection; and
4.Sand dunes, sand beaches etc. that are under serious wind erosion; and
5.Steep slopeland that is likely to jeopardize public safety; and
6.Other areas with a grave impact on soil and water conservation.
The designated soil and conservation area under the preceding paragraph shall be established by the central or special municipality competent authority or managed by the designated management authority.

Designated soil and conservation areas will be delimited and publicly announced by the central competent authority if located in a country/city administrative region or in an administrative region straddling across two or more special municipalities and counties/cities; if located in a special municipal administrative region, such areas will be delimited by the special municipality competent authority and, upon the request of the special municipality competent authority, publicly announced by the central competent authority.
The guidelines for delimiting and abolishing the designated soil and conservation areas under the preceding paragraph will be determined by the central competent authority.

The management authority shall draft a long-term soil and water conservation plan with respect to a designated soil and water conservation area, and submit the same to the central competent authority directly or through the special municipality competent authority, for approval and implementation.
The long-term soil and water conservation plan under the preceding paragraph shall be subject to thorough review once every five years and may be modified subject to practical need. Where specially necessary, an application may be made at any time to the central competent authority directly or through the special municipality competent authority for approval of modification.

The long-term soil and water conservation plan with respect to any type of area delimited as a designated soil and water conservation area shall focus on the following:
1.Reservoir watershed: conservation of water resources; control of erosion, landslide, debris flow; purification of water quality; maintenance of the natural ecological environment.
2.Watershed: protection of soil and water resources; control of erosion and landslide; prevention of flooding; maintenance of the natural ecological environment.
3.Coasts, the riparian zones of lakes and reservoirs, or banks of waterways: prevention of landslide and erosion; maintenance of the natural ecological environment; protection of neighboring land.
4.Sand dunes, sand beaches: wind break and sand fixation.
5.Other areas: as specified by the competent authority subject to practical need.
No development activities are allowed in any type of area delimited as a designated soil and water conservation area, except, subject to the approval of the central competent authority, major infrastructure associated with water sources that involves neither a change in terrain features of a specific scale or above nor a natural recreation area approved after environmental impact assessment review.
The change in terrain features of a specific scale or above, as mentioned in the preceding paragraph, will be identified by the central competent authority in conjunction with the relevant authorities.

With respect to the reservoir watershed that is delimited as a designated soil and water conservation area, the management authority shall establish a protection belt from the top of the water line of the reservoir to 30m or 50m from the water level. The protection belts of other designated soil and water conservation areas will be established subject to the approval of the central competent authority upon the request of the management authority based on practical need.
Any private land and public land within a protection belt as mentioned in the preceding paragraph may be subject to condemnation and appropriation respectively; in the event of land already leased, the lease shall be terminated and the land re-claimed.
The area above the protection belt of the reservoir watershed, as mentioned in the first paragraph, being a forest shall be designated as protection forest and governed by the applicable provisions of the Forest Act.

The management authority may restrict or ban the gainful use of land within a protection belt mentioned in the preceding Article that has not been condemned or re-claimed, or may designate the method of operation and protection of such land.
The protection belt mentioned in the preceding paragraph being a forest shall be designated as protection forest and governed by the applicable provisions of the Forest Act.
The private landowner or the holder of any ground objects under the first paragraph may claim compensation for any loss suffered. The compensation shall be based on a fair, reasonable price.
Regulations for the claim and payment of compensation under the third paragraph will be determined by the central competent authority and submitted to the Legislative Yuan for approval and the files.