INE contribution to the upcoming European Climate Resilience Framework

11 March 2026

Inland waterways are critical multi-functional infrastructure in Europe, supporting navigation, water supply, energy, agriculture, tourism, and ecosystem services. Managed by waterway authorities, these systems simultaneously protect, preserve, and produce—maintaining infrastructure and flood defenses, hosting ecological corridors, and supplying water for industry, communities, and agriculture.

Climate change is increasingly affecting these waterways through slow-onset changes, extreme weather events, droughts, floods, and ecological degradation. These impacts cascade across transport, industry, energy, agriculture, public health, and tourism, creating systemic risks that cannot be addressed by individual Member States alone.

Investing in inland waterways generates triple dividends: it protects lives and critical infrastructure, preserves ecosystems, and produces long-term economic and strategic resilience. Proactive, integrated, and cross-sectoral approaches—supported by coherent policies, adaptive planning, and sustained financing—are essential to maximize synergies, avoid maladaptation, and ensure Europe’s water security, climate resilience, and economic competitiveness.

Read the full contribution here.