Water Transport: Inland Waterways

Canals, lakes, coastal areas and rivers have been significant waterways for mankind for centuries. Today, steamers and boats are the primary methods to transport passengers and cargo from one place to another.

Important points to consider for the development of Inland Waterways

The following things play an essential role in the development of inland waterways:

• Latest transport technologies that are or can be used
• Continuity in the flow of water
• Water channel depth and width for navigation purposes

In thick forests, transportation of coal, timber, cement, metallic ores and other heavy cargo can be done through rivers. No other means are available for developing inland waterways in such regions.

Challenges with Inland Waterways

The presence of railway tracks, scarcity of water because of irrigation and other purposes and lack of maintenance are some of the significant challenges or issues with inland waterways. 

Important Inland Waterways for Commerce

Here are some essential inland waterways for commerce and trade:

Rhine Waterways

The Rhine River passes through countries like the Netherlands and Germany. Starting from Rotterdam, one can navigate up to 700 kilometres through the Rhine waterways. The mouth of the river is located in the Netherlands, and it is navigable till Basel, Switzerland. The vessels that get diverted towards the ocean can navigate to Cologne. The Rhine River is joined by the Ruhr River towards the east and passes via a coalfield.

Rhine Port: Düsseldorf

The river stretch located at Ruhr River’s south is responsible for the movement of heavy tonnage. The Rhine waterways are among the most used waterways in the globe. The industrial regions of Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland get connected with the North Atlantic Sea Route through this waterway.

Danube Waterway

Danube Waterway is a major inland waterway of the Eastern Europe region. One can navigate to Taurna Severin by using this waterway. The origin of the Danube River is located at the Black Forest and passes through several countries. Wheat, maize, machinery and timber are the main items exported through the Danube Waterway.

Volga Waterway

Volga Waterway is Russia’s most prominent waterway. It has up to 11,200 kilometres of navigable waterway that finally meets the Caspian Sea. It is connected to Moscow via the Volga-Moscow Canal and connects to the Black Sea via the Volga-Don Canal.

Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway

An inland waterway is formed by North America’s great lakes such as Ontario, Huron Erie and Superior as it connects via the so and Welland Canal. These great lakes, along with the St. Lawrence’s estuary, give rise to a commercial waterway in North America’s northern part. Buffalo and Duluth ports on this water transport route comprise ocean port facilities. The large ocean going vessels can navigate up the river deep inside the continent to Montreal. Goods have to be trans-shipped to smaller vessels due to the presence of rapids. To avoid this, canals up to 3.5 m deep have been built.

Mississippi Waterways

The interior part of the United States connects to the Gulf of Mexico in the south via the Mississippi-Ohio waterway. This route is used by the big steamers to go up to Minneapolis.

Conclusion 

The importance of waterways and their impact on the economy and lives of people needs to be studied for a deeper understanding of inland waterways. Governments should focus on these waterways and develop them for transportation, tourism, and raising infrastructure.