Abstract: As a high molecular polymer, water holding agents possesses the capability of absorbing water, soil conservation, and preserving fertilizer. It can improve soil structure, reduce soil bulk density, increase soil erosion resistance and play a role in soil and water conservation by its water-conserving function and acting mechanism of soil science. Based on the function of water holding agents on soil and water conservation, this paper introduced the functional mechanisms of water holding agent, the key factors in application processes of soil and water conservation, soil and water conservation effects, and existing problems in the current application and future research directions. It can be concluded that using water holding agents properly had significant effects on soil and water conservation with proper types, application methods and quantity and so on. The multifunctional water holding agents with lower cost should be developed and the application fields and scale should be extended in the further study on soil and water conservation.