Inland waterway transport

A well-planned transportation infrastructure is of prime importance for a nation's socio-economic development. Such infrastructure requires continuous maintenance and upgrading to meet changes in cargo flows and to keep pace with technological developments in transport and cargo handling systems.

Government bodies charged with transport allocation as well as (commercial) cargo transport companies, striving for the most economic use of resources, are guided by transport costs and the capacities of different transport modes.
However, albeit important, economic considerations are not the only factors to be taken into account. The ever growing importance of social and environmental issues has led Royal Haskoning to advocate an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to the decision making process in transport development investments.
Royal Haskoning has different kinds of transport models available to assist multimodal transport analyses. Due to the fact we have linked these models, we are able to utilize the right model for each problem and at each level. If such would be required to solve a specific problem, the link between the models allows Royal Haskoning to activate and run the different models simultaneously. The different models are utilized for questions raised at different scale levels. The following figure shows what model can be applied for what scale level and what the predicted prospects are:

One of the main advantages of inland waterway transport (IWT) is that the transport capacity of IWT is high and the costs are low, especially for bulk transport over long distances. Further IWT is a relatively "clean" transport mode; this should also be taken into account when alternative transport modes are weighed off against each other.
The steps to be taken in the decision making process of IWT development depend largely on the level of development of inland waterway transport systems already in place.
In all cases, however, the central problem for waterway development is finding the optimal balance between adapting the means of transport to natural physical conditions and changing the latter in favour of improved navigability for vessels.

Royal Haskoning can lead a specific project through all its subsequent phases, whether it be the drafting of a master plan, the assessment of impacts or the detailing of documents required for the execution of the works. Each stage demands its own specific approach and expertise, and Royal Haskoning has bundled this experience in a large and varied assemblage of professional experts, environmentalists and engineers.

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Consultant

Marieke Nieuwaal

E Marieke Nieuwaal

P +84 (0)9 030 18 876