Climate change & resilience

Vulnerability to climate change

Extreme floods and dry periods are nothing new in the history of climatology. What is new is the impact of human made global warming playing out on top of these dynamic climate patterns. Inland waterway transport is vulnerable to climate change because river navigation depends on precipitation for its operations and extreme events become more frequent, while progressive change manifests itself as well in the form of changes in water discharge and invasive species. The increasing vessel size, the trend towards just-in-time logistics and the resulting reduction of buffers in the supply chain have resulted in ever lower tolerance levels for climate change-induced interruptions. Adaptation to climate for navigation requires a sound knowledge base and action at the level of the fleet, logistics and infrastructure.

Multi-functional role of waterway authorities

Waterway authorities manage and operate navigable rivers, canals and lakes in Europe which cross EU cities and landscapes hosting communities, economic activities and nature. In addition to providing infrastructure services for commercial and recreational navigation on different types of waterways, waterway authorities provide other important societal and economic services.

The multi-functional role of inland waterway authorities includes according to their mandates:

• protecting the safety of critical infrastructure and preventing irreversible damage
• ensuring the security of water supply for utilities essential to society such as drinking water as well as water for energy purposes
• increasing water efficiency and providing water supply for economic uses such as navigation, agriculture, industry, power generation, heating & cooling
• providing flood mitigation and relief both on and along navigable waterways (ports, roads, railways,…), for a better protection of the population, economic activities, critical infrastructure
• supporting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning by creating space for the river, reconnecting river branches, restoring meandering and wetlands which increase water quality and act, beyond their habitat function for a wide variety of species, as a natural sponge absorbing water during heavy rainfall and releasing it again very slowly in periods of drought.
• enhancing regional development for mobility, tourism and leisure on and along waterways: cruising, boating, passenger transport, nautical sports, cycling, walking, heritage,…

This multi-functional set of tasks highlights the role of waterway authorities in ensuring water resilience. This guides waterway authorities towards integrated and multidisciplinary planning, design and management of projects, acknowledging interdependencies and combining functions wherever possible to maximise synergies and co-benefits.

How does climate change affect the waterway network and overall water resilience?

Generally, the climate change-induced fluctuations of water levels are still within the same range of fluctuations as in the past decades. There will be water in Europe’s river and canals just like in the past, but waterway managers will have to cope with bigger extremes. Temporal and spatial changes in the frequency and intensity of precipitation and rising temperatures are increasing the risk and frequency of storms, floods, heat waves and droughts. The impacts of extreme events and progressive changes brought about by climate change drive up the pressure on water resilience. Climate change affects the infrastructure, services and functions provided by waterway authorities in several ways:

• Infrastructure stability and safety – Extreme temperatures and rainfall endanger the stability of critical infrastructure requiring increased investment to protect its safety. Water shortage, storms and flooding cause damage and subsidence to water related structures, embankments, reservoirs, bridges, hosted utilities and other structures such as roads, railways, ports etc. negatively affecting the safety and security of daily operations and increasing the risk of disruptions.
• Increased risk of water scarcity and droughts – In rivers, droughts lead to low water levels and river bed erosion. Canals can be affected by prolonged droughts when feeding rivers are running low. Water scarcity increases water use and abstraction, aggravating the situation, creating competing use. Events of water scarcity require an anticipated cooperative water allocation approach focusing on water co-benefits, so all water uses can continue to thrive by using water in an efficient way. Water security, safe retention and release management require concerted investment to ensure smart water supply for drinking water, emergency services, navigation, agricultural and industrial processes.
• Floodings and overtopping – Long lasting heavy precipitation solely or in association with snow melt will result in increased discharges, flow velocities and high water levels in rivers leading to significant changes in sedimentation and river morphology. Overtopping can result in additional pollution. Driftwood and fallen trees create clogging and barriers. Floodings damage water related and adjacent structures and endanger human life. Locks already are instrumental in regulating water flows.
• Ecological degradation – Changing weather patterns lead to biodiversity loss and increase the presence of invasive species and algal bloom.

Climate change is an important factor which threatens water resilience on top of a backlog in renovation, decrease in funding and increasing danger of hybrid warfare. This causes a systemic risk to multiple and interdependent vital functions of our society and economy. Investments in waterways’ capacity to attenuate the consequences of extreme phenomena are ongoing, but enormous work remains to be done.

Waterway authorities are Working with Nature, develop nature based solutions or green infrastructure where possible and grey infrastructure when necessary.

Inland Navigation Europe is also a supporter of the Navigating a Changing Climate Partnership, and as such is committed to:

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and moving to low carbon navigation infrastructure;
• Strengthening resilience and adapting to the effects of the changing climate;
• Promoting integrated solutions and sustainable solutions;
• Disseminating information about climate change issues relevant to navigation infrastructure.

How can we respond more effectively to climate change and increase water resilience

Water is a strategic asset. In follow up to the EU Climate Adaptation Strategy of 2021 and the Commission communication on managing climate risks of 2024 building on the EEA Climate Risk Assessment, the ongoing and future effects of climate change dramatically increase the need for an interdisciplinary and proactive EU water resilience strategy given the interdependencies between sectors and regions. Moreover, our water infrastructure needs to become resilient to all other kinds of disruptions.

To achieve a fit-for-purpose and a fit-for-future waterway network fully contributing to increased water resilience, sustainability and security, it is essential to:

• Raise political awareness and understanding about the multi-purpose role of our water infrastructure, including the navigable waterway network and how its interdependent functions affect and support our economy and society. Being fully aware of interconnectedness and leveraging synergies will strengthen our resilience. Breaking silos is key to avoid conflicting use, weak spots and maladaptation.
• Ensure a systemic approach and policy coherence in governance processes and projects. Enhance collaboration across administrative entities and sectors for a coherent integration of water resilience in and between EU policies with due consideration for geographic differences. Joint planning objectives integrate the interests of all sectors, enabling a more efficient and sustainable management of shared water resources while considering the growing climate change and security-related risks. In the face of combined challenges such as drought, floods and cyber threats to water related infrastructure, integrated approaches and proactive risk management are essential.
• Foster research, development and innovation to bridge uncertainties by investigating data and investment gaps; improve forecasting and monitoring capacity for navigable waterways; assess interrelations between different and conflicting uses including negative cascading; design and test how to maximise the potential of digitalization and AI in a safe and secure way; test innovative and sustainable co-benefit solutions for smart water use, circularity, retention, climate adaptation, security and pollution control at source, etc.
• Integrate water resilience in EU funding and financing instruments. Money sets priorities. It should enable EU strategic investment into integrated projects and the combination of resources to cover concurring needs and enabling synergies. If we are to strengthen and improve the ability of Europe’s waterway network to continue at all times to provide life sustaining services for society, economy and nature, it is imperative to increase capacity building and investment in the preparedness and resilience of waterway related infrastructure with nature based solutions where possible and with other solutions where necessary.
• Enable flexible, adaptive planning and implementation. Traditional infrastructure has a long life expectancy. Its quality, reliability and safety must be improved where needed. At the same time, climate adaptation requires working with evolving knowledge, continuous monitoring and evaluation to expand the toolbox with no-regret and adaptive measures according to specific geographic needs. Flexibility can be achieved by carrying out large projects in stages. This allows for phased implementation and adaptive management. Such an approach supports continuous refinement of the planning and implementation of measures based on lessons learned from earlier phases. Improving responsiveness requires therefore a rolling funding programme as part of multi-annual climate and water resilience plans for navigable waterways.

As water resilience is closely linked to climate change and extreme events, we advocate close coordination with the European Climate Change Adaptation and Preparedness Strategy.