river navigation christian baldo

7/21/2019 River Navigation Christian Baldo

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River transportation: Clean alternativeor destruction for waterways?


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Transport over water is arelatively clean method of

moving goods from one pointto another.

Processes of developingRivers for Navigation

DredgingChannelling

Straightening


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Dredging

Dredgingis

an e!cavation activity oroperation usually carried out atleast partly underwater" inshallow seas or fresh water areaswith the purpose of gathering up

#ottom sediments and disposingof them at a di$erent location.This techni%ue is often used to

&eep waterways naviga#le.


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Channelling

Reducing the length of the channel #y

su#stituting straight cuts for a windingcourse is the only way in which the'e$ective( fall can #e increased. This

involves some loss of capacity in thechannel as a whole" and in the case ofa large river with a considera#le )ow it

is very di*cult to maintain a straightcut owing to the tendency of thecurrent to erode the #an&s and form

again a sinuous channel.


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Straightening

Straightening" in simple terms

involves the moving of mudand sand along a river course

until the #ends of the river are+lled and its main channel ise!cavated su*ciently enoughto contain the volume of water.


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The cost of shipping and the value of rivers

Shipping goods #y rivers is assumed to #e anenvironmentally friendly mode of transport. 5t emits lessC,- than road transport.

6ut truly sustaina#le transportation will not #e achieved ifthe valua#le ecosystems services our rivers provide areignored. Some of the services that are lost when we try to +ta river to the ships 'instead of the ships to the river( include:Storage and retention of water for domestic" agricultural"and industrial use

7lood control

Provision of food from +sheries and livelihoods for small4scale

+shing8roundwater recharge

Nutrient reduction.


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Irreversible impacts

5nland shipping infrastructure pro0ects alter natural riverfunction and ha#itat through physical modi+cation suchas water pumping" channeli9ing" dredging" and graveland sand e!traction. This ma&es deep" straight" anduniformly #an&ed waterways that partly cut the river o$from its )oodplain.

essel operations also create waves that distur# otherwater users. ;oung +sh are directly a$ected #y wavessince their swimming capacity is low. ccidental pollution involves oil and in some casesha9ardous su#stances.


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Opportunities for innovations and sustainablealternatives

6efore ma&ing irreversi#le changes on river systems to

improve navigation" other approaches should #ee!plored" including:Ship technology: >dapt vessels to the conditions ofparticular rivers. 7or instance" low draught ship designallows for operation on inland waterways without the

draught restrictions of conventional vessels.

River information systems (RIS):5nformationservices for river navigation increase the safety"e*ciency" and competitiveness of river transport.

Intermodal techni!ues:Smooth and e*cientconnections from ships to other modes oftransportation increase the %uality andcompetitiveness of inland waterway transport.

river navigation christian baldo

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