South America, as of yet, has not been able to take full advantage of its extensive system of naturally navigable waterways and in making them an integrated part of the region’s transport network to cater for the ever increasing demand for cargo and human mobility.
Infrastructure limitations are one of the major obstacles for the development of inland navigation in the region and, to a certain extent, they are being addressed in most national and regional transport plans and projects
Infrastructure limitations are one of the major obstacles for the development of inland navigation in the region and, to a certain extent, they are being addressed in most national and regional transport plans and projects. However, this effort, in most cases, remain isolated, and the potential and role of inland shipping as a “natural resource” in itself, but also for transporting the region’s natural resources is, in general, absent as an integral part of the countries transport, mobility and or logistics policies. In this sense the economic and social value of the region’s inland waterway system is still underestimated.
Many natural resources are located around or close to river basins, thus promoting inland waterways in many cases is a more sustainable way not only for exploiting these, but also to bring connectivity and social services for the local communities. Policy changes and their coordination at the sub regional and regional level will enable the countries to proactively use their natural resources more dynamically, which can facilitate the creation of valued added logistics chains in support of inclusive development and structural change in South America.
A common classification of the inland waterways (rivers, canals and lakes) […]
A common classification of the inland waterways (rivers, canals and lakes), which currently does not exist in the region, could be instrumental for achieving greater, better and more sustainable use and governance of inland navigation. The experiences of other regions in the world demonstrate that inland waterway classifications, far from being public sector formality or a purely academic exercise, are an essential, powerful and dynamic tool for supporting and implementing inland waterways policies and projects inasmuch as they allow to identify the limitations and the economic potential of navigable waterways in the region and to encourage and monitor the development of their capacity for transport of goods and people.
In order to encourage reflection on a potential inland waterways classification for the South American region, the port study uses the example of the European system of classification to demonstrate the role of classifications in the inland navigation development and formulates an initial proposal for the classification
In order to encourage reflection on a potential inland waterways classification for the South American region, the port study uses the example of the European system of classification to demonstrate the role of classifications in the inland navigation development and formulates an initial proposal for the classification and incorporates substantives comments received from the PIANC experts and includes additional data on inland waterway fleet in the region, analyzed for the classification.
The port study has been prepared by PortEconomics member Gordon Wilmsmeier along with Azhar Jaimurzina (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean-ECLAC), Otto Koedijk (Rijkswaterstaat/TU Delft, Netherlands) and Philippe Rigo (University of Liege, Belgium), within the activities carried out under the project ECLAC/UNDA “Logistics integration for a more sustainable exploitation of natural resources in Latin America and the Caribbean” (SB-001324) and first published @ECLAC webpage.
