Research on Restoration and Conservation of the Han River Corridor

Project Overview: Focusing on the 195-kilometre main stem of the Han River in Xiangyang and its surrounding catchment, this systematic study addresses core challenges arising from the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. These include reduced water flow, water resource supply-demand imbalances, ecological degradation, and soil erosion. The research integrates the strategic positioning of the Han River basin with Xiangyang's urban development requirements. By analysing the geographical, natural, and cultural characteristics of the Han River Corridor and drawing on domestic and international river restoration case studies, a water ecological security framework encompassing four dimensions—integrated water security, biodiversity conservation, geological hazard prevention, and vernacular cultural landscapes—has been established. This framework proposes a spatial structure of ‘one main axis, two secondary axes, and five segments’. Centred on four core strategies—water security, habitat restoration, recreational development, and greenway construction—the plan outlines projects for flood control and drainage management, water purification, bank restoration, and biological habitat conservation. Integrating historical-cultural and ecological resources, it establishes a recreational system comprising "one belt, Three Zones, Four Lines" recreational system and an integrated water-land greenway network. Differentiated restoration guidelines were developed for lake-type, forested, urban, and farmland river sections. These outcomes provide scientific support for the Hanjiang Ecological Economic Belt development, water ecological conservation, and sustainable utilisation, bolstering Xiangyang's role as a central city within the Hanjiang River Basin.