In order to handle matters related to rural development and soil and water conservation, the Ministry of Agriculture hereby establishes the Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation (hereafter ARDSWC).

The ARDSWC shall be in charge of the following matters:
1.Planning, research, formulation, implementation, and supervision of policies, laws, and regulations for rural development and soil and water conservation.
2.Planning, coordination, guidance, and supervision of rural land use and management.
3.Planning, guidance, coordination, review, evaluation, implementation, and supervision of rural regeneration and rural human resources training.
4.Surveying, planning, design, guidance, promotion, and supervision of rural industrial development, rural culture, the rural environment, and rural scenery.
5.Planning, design, guidance, promotion, and supervising projects to improve the overall rural environment, primary rural production conditions, daily life facilities and functions, and leisure agriculture.
6.Surveying, planning, implementation, and supervising soil and water conservation in watershed areas.
7.Surveying, planning, design, implementation, and supervision of slopeland management and disaster prevention projects, soil and water conservation projects, and vegetation greenification projects.
8.Planning, surveying, promotion, coordination, and supervising disaster prevention work for debris flow, large-scale landslides, and unstable land.
9.Planning, promotion, implementation, supervision, and assessment of review, approval, and supervision of soil and water conservation management and soil and water conservation programs.
10.Other matters related to rural development and soil and water conservation.

The ARDSWC shall have one director-general with the rank of senior civil servant Grade 13 and two deputy directors-general with the rank of senior civil servant Grade 12.

The ARDSWC shall have a chief secretary with the rank of senior civil servant Grade 11.

The ARDSWC may establish branch offices to meet operational needs in areas under its jurisdiction.

The number of personnel in the ARDSWC and their ranks and grades shall be stipulated in a separate staffing chart.

The Executive Yuan shall determine the date this Act comes into effect.