The central province of Thua Thien - Hue plans to invest US$159 million by 2020 into improving the Huong River, the province People's Committee said.

The work will include bolstering embankments in erosion prone areas and rearranging buildings and parks along the riverbanks. Resettlement for floating communities on the river will also be conducted, it said.
Key investment will go into the portion of the river that runs through Hue city. The Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) will co-chair part of the work in the city river section by giving the city $6 million and Korean experts.
Within 36 months, KOICA and local authorities present a plan to reorganise an area of 365 hectares, stretching 15km from Vong Canh hill to Bao Vinh ancient town.
Facelift work will be carried out on existing parks, buildings, markets and islets in the area while several buildings, pedestrian roads and parks will be added to the riverbanks.
In the upper part of the river near the Tuan confluence, there is a ban on illegal sand mining which is expected to stop the negative impact from sand mining to the river flow and bank erosion.
Where the river meets Tam Giang Lagoon, dredging and upgrading work on culverts and pumping stations will be carried out in order to ensure good drainage of floodwater during rainy seasons.
Recent proposals to develop the river area has met strong resistance from local experts, who argued they would destroy the nature beauty of the river. Speaking at a recent seminar on the issue, researcher Nguyen Xuan Hoa said any changes to the river would lead to the ruin of the river, which is considered a heritage of the city.
Nguyen Van Thanh, chairman of the city People's Committee recommended a thorough investigation of local history and culture in relation with the river before developing any plans. 
Source: vietnamnet.vn