Blue Routes for a New Era: Developing Inland Waterways Transportation in China
Cheng Lü, Bernard Aritua, Richard van Liere, Harrie de Leijer
Abstract
Most policy makers readily acknowledge the economic, environmental, \nand social benefits of moving freight and passengers by waterways. \nHowever, why do many countries struggle to develop and revive their inland \nwaterways transportation (IWT)? One reason is because of the dearth of \nsuccessful examples of IWT revival. Aside from the United States and \nEurope, which have been relatively successful, the experience of many \nemerging countries has been a tale of intensive use followed by total \ncollapse of the IWT sector. However, the combination of societal, economic, \nand environmental imperatives is motivating reassessment, as countries look \nto develop sustainable transport systems and to curb greenhouse gas \nemissions from the transport sector. China’s experience has similarities to \nthe experience of many countries and offers valuable lessons. This report is \nthe result of an in-depth retrospective study of IWT in China and fills a gap \nin global knowledge. \nFrom an IWT system that carried less than 150 million tons in 1978, \nIWT in China carried 3.74 billion tons of cargo in 2018—six times more \nthan either the European Union or the United States. China now has the \nbusiest IWT system in the world. China’s leadership in IWT development \nstarted with years of investment in infrastructure that transformed lowgrade \nwaterways, allowing larger vessels to use the waterways, which \nresulted in higher transport efficiency and lower cost. China also invested \nin development of skills and technical know-how. To date there are \n127,000 km of inland waterways in China that have high-quality \nnavigability and a good safety record. During the period of rapid \neconomic development, China also adopted or developed internationally \nrecognized technical innovations for river classification, vessel \nreplacement, navigation technology, and environmental protection. \nWhat China achieved is informative. In particular, how and why China \nimproved IWT provides valuable lessons for other countries.