Inland waterways are vulnerable to climate change due to their dependence on water levels, which can be affected by droughts or flooding. Reduced water levels can disrupt inland navigation to the point that they are completely non-navigable. The paper summarised in this article analysed the impact of climate change on water levels to forecast the economic impact it may have on inland waterways transport. The study’s analyses showed a decrease in the number of days with low water, resulting in an overall economic benefit for inland waterways from climate change.

To evaluate different inland transport modes, it is important to understand external costs (such as accidents, noise and emissions) associated with each mode. The paper summarised in this article investigates these external costs for inland waterways transport and identifies any data or research gaps that may hinder the analysis of external costs across transport modes.

The paper summarised in this article proposes a new metric to determine the overall performance of inland waterway ports. The Port Performance Indicator (PPI) is based on six criteria – port facility, availability, economics, service, connectivity and environment. The study is the first to use a Bayesian Network (BN) model to assess inland port performance and uses further advanced techniques to validate its analysis.

Decarbonising freight transport plays a key role in achieving the European Union’s climate objectives. Modal shifts from road to rail and inland waterways can contribute to these objectives. The study summarised in this article demonstrates a tool that disaggregates the drivers behind modal shifts, which can help policy makers identify why modal shifts are happening and if they can be expected to last.

The TRIMIS database includes many EU-funded projects that showcase research and development of innovative technologies and systems to decarbonise IWW transport and to make it more competitive.