This report addresses an issue specific to inland waterborne transport infrastructure, which has evolved significantly over recent decades. The overall trend, whether in Europe, Asia or North and South America[1], has led to the construction of new or significantly upgraded waterways, for barges or push-tows carrying thousands of tonnes.
As a result, thousands of kilometres of canals and navigable rivers were neglected – in some cases abandoned, or infilled – since the authorities in charge of their maintenance were forced to concentrate their efforts on infrastructure to be maintained or even built from scratch to serve the needs of the modern economy and industry.
The neglect and its consequences – the possible abandonment of many waterways that have continued to be maintained despite their ‘low use’ and correspondingly low priority – suggested a new approach to provide decision-makers with justification for maintaining this infrastructure as far as possible, by characterising the many different values potentially generated. The issue was already addressed by PIANC WG 203, which analysed the ecological and social functions of waterways, but it was felt necessary to conduct further research to provide decision-makers with a decision-aid model on the extended values. For this purpose PIANC solicited Inland Waterways International (IWI) – a leading body with expertise focused specifically on heritage waterways – to jointly research and produce the present report.
The evaluation model suggested in this report builds on previous work on Ecosystem Services, Building with Nature and the UN Sustainable Development Goals while drilling down into the details of eight case studies in North America, Europe and Asia, thereby identifying a wide range of effective or potential uses, both in cities where the needs of the population are more prevalent, and in rural areas. A values diagram was designed, for an instant overview of the potential delivery of benefits on three levels:(a) not present, (b) a value may be derived to a limited extent, or (c) significant value already present or potentially derived under the corresponding heading. The Ecosystem Services are grouped under three categories: provisioning, regulating and cultural.
The period of research coincided with specific risks for smaller waterways, as government departments in Germany and France, and a private concessionary in New York State, USA, sought to relinquish their responsibility to maintain navigability of waterways of little or no use for commercial transport. The risks were averted in all three cases, but lend heightened acuity to the report and its recommendations.
Although both PIANC and IWI are focused on in inland navigation under their respective constitutions, the work on the case studies was deliberately unbiased, and the widest range of scenarios was considered, from ‘maximum navigability’, based on maintaining the original design standards to facilitate a revival of commercial barge transport, to ‘reduced navigability’ where other values are shown to be more critical for the population or indeed for ecology and biodiversity.
It is hoped that decision makers at all levels will find the case studies and the concise findings regarding funding and feasibility drivers useful in considering the future of their waterways.
