Yangxian:

Integrated Development of Han River

Description

In October 1982 the Federal Republic of Germany and the People's Republic of China concluded anagreement on technical cooperation which included a project for the integrated development of the Han River. The client on the German side was the GTZ (German Agency for Technical Cooperation), while its counterpart on the Chinese side was the central department of inland navigation in the Ministry of Communications.

By means of an initial study comprising socioeconomic, transport economic and water resources components it was aimed to establish a development programme (masterplan) for the optimum use of the river for the national economy in general and the economy of the two provinces Hubei and Shaanxi incentral China in particular.

The individual technical disciplines covered by the study included economics and development planning, transportation planning, agricultural engineering, hydraulics and port planning, hydrology and water resources management, dam engineering, flood protection and energy engineering.

Apart from elaborating a comprehensive development plan for the region as a whole, the study clearly defined a large number of sub-projects for the future development of the river.

Moreover, the study represents a pilot study for integrated infrastructural planning in China, as special attention was paid to the coordination with all the government authorities involved such as the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Energy as well as the provincial governments of Hubei and Shaanxi and the various river navigation authorities.

The study was performed by DORSCH CONSULT in permanent joint venture with another German company.