The Prime Minister has approved an investment of almost 19.6 trillion VND (over one billion USD) to carry out a programme to upgrade river dykes in northern Vietnam.

Under the programme, eighteen cities and provinces from the central province of Ha Tinh to the north, will receive funds strengthening river dykes to control floods and improve the surface of the dykes for traffic.

The programme will be carried out in three phases 2009-2010, 2011-2015, and 2016-2020./.