After the completion of the “Third National Land Survey,” how can we ensure the timeliness and accuracy of land survey results through the annual land-use change survey? Recently, the General Office of the Ministry of Natural Resources issued the “Notice on Standardizing the Application of Land Survey Results Based on On-Site Conditions” (hereinafter referred to as the “Notice”), requiring all localities to adhere to the principle of seeking truth from facts and strictly follow unified standards in the annual land-use change survey. Relevant management efforts should fully take into account the reasonableness and legality of land category origins, make comprehensive judgments, and ensure that cultivated land is truly and accurately classified as such, thereby guaranteeing the authenticity and accuracy of land survey results.
　　The Notice stipulates that land surveys shall be conducted in accordance with unified survey standards and based on the current status of land use as determined at the time of the survey. Whenever discrepancies are found between the results of the land survey and the actual land use conditions on the ground—whether these discrepancies arise from new changes that occurred after the survey date or from errors or omissions in the Third National Land Survey or previous annual land surveys—they must be promptly updated or corrected through the annual land change survey, ensuring that the surveyed land categories remain consistent with the actual on-the-ground conditions. For cases requiring urgent management attention, the relevant information may be reported to the Ministry via the routine change mechanism, with immediate review and approval upon submission. Satellite remote sensing imagery serves as the base map for land surveys; however, land categories must not be determined solely on the basis of satellite remote sensing imagery in the office. Instead, land categories must be verified against the actual on-the-ground conditions in accordance with the requirements of the survey procedures. We must adhere to a practical approach and provide solid evidence to support any changes in land categories. During the annual land change survey, all plots suspected of land category changes must be thoroughly documented according to uniform technical requirements. Evidence may include photographs or videos taken manually or by drone aerial photography, ensuring that the on-the-ground conditions have been accurately verified and that the land category determinations meet the prescribed standards.
　　Regarding the current status survey of cultivated land, the “Notice” clearly stipulates the following three points: First, the land survey must strictly adhere to established standards to accurately determine the current status of cultivated land and ensure that such land truly qualifies as cultivated land. Cultivated land includes fallow land, newly developed, reclaimed, and consolidated land, leisure land (including rotation fallow and fallow fields), as well as land used for greenhouses, plastic tunnels, mulch films, and other facilities designed to provide insulation and moisture retention, provided that these facilities directly utilize the topsoil’s arable layer. If trees planted on cultivated land have reached the standards for forested land, such land should be reclassified as forested land. Second, the slope classes of cultivated land must be updated based on factual conditions. For cases where the actual slope of cultivated land differs from the slope map due to technical reasons—such as the implementation of land development and consolidation projects or insufficient timeliness of digital elevation models—evidence may be provided through on-site photographs or satellite remote sensing imagery in accordance with relevant requirements, and the slope classes should be updated accordingly based on the actual situation. Third, any newly identified cultivated land must be verified on-site to ensure its authenticity and prevent falsification.
　　Taking into account the actual conditions such as local crop sowing seasons and phenological stages, local authorities are permitted to complete supplementary evidence for “emerging seedlings” by the end of May each year. Fourth, for newly created farmland resulting from projects such as linking increases in urban and rural construction land with reductions, balancing cultivated land occupation with replenishment, and ecological restoration, the land category shall be promptly reported to the Ministry for review and confirmation through the annual land-use change survey (including routine change mechanisms) immediately after the completion of the respective project.
　　The “Notice” requires that we uphold the uniqueness of land spatial planning and land use categories, and effectively address conflicts among land use categories. Based on the results of the “Third National Land Survey” and annual land-use change surveys, we should carry out forest, grassland, and wetland surveys and monitoring in accordance with unified standards. For any changes involving forest land, grassland, or wetland categories, after joint review and confirmation by natural resources authorities and forestry and grassland authorities at all levels, such changes shall be incorporated into the annual land-use change survey and the monitoring results of forest, grassland, and wetland patches, thereby ensuring consistency in land-use category identification and continuously strengthening the foundation of a single, comprehensive base map for natural resource management. The current status of land use as reflected in the results of the land survey serves as the basis for relevant management activities; however, it is also necessary to further compare these results with previous survey data, planning documents, approval records, inspection and enforcement information, and other management data, fully considering the reasonableness and legality of the origin of each land use category, and making comprehensive judgments accordingly.