The belief that navigation is environment friendly and green is widely spread. „Because navigation is environment friendly and green” …In order to guarantee an interdisciplinary approach and broader acceptance of the ongoing and future planning process from the beginning, the ministries responsible for environment, water management and transport, scientists and experts in river engineering, navigation, ecology, spatial planning, tourism and economics as well as representatives of other stakeholders, such as environmental non-governmental organisations and relevant private sector representatives, should be involved.” Ship engines can also cause an unnatural suspension of fine sediments, leading to reduced light for plant and algae growth…
on waste and sewage collection).įrom the mechanical point of view, ship traffic causes waves, which can disturb the reproduction habitats of fish, benthic invertebrates, other biota as well as de-root aquatic plants. In addition to hydromorphological impacts, navigation can also have other impacts on the water environment, such as pollution, which will be addressed in the respective EU WFD river basin management plans and in specific projects (e.g. In December 2007/ January 2008 the ICPDR (International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River), the Danube Commission and the International Sava River Basin Commission adopted a Joint Statement ( &subfolder=default/files/), which among others states: “on the one hand riverbed stabilisation works and dredging can eliminate ecologically important in-stream structures and lead to a uniform aquatic environment whilst, riverbed erosion downstream of stabilisation works can lead to a vertical separation and hydrological decoupling of the river from its floodplain habitats. In the same time Frank Georg also emphasized that this seems to be in conflict with the fact that 15% of conservationists never and 67% rarely have joint discussions with hydrographers and/ or navigation specialists. Mr Georg Frank, Secretary-General of the DANUBEparksConnected Project, said in his presentation at the Danube Commission (Budapest) on Septemthat a recent survey conducted by conservation experts in the DANUBEparksConnected Project found that the factor that endangers riverine natural habitats the most was caused by the navigation and the maintenance of its infrastructure. Water Management): “In the management of watercourses affecting groundwater levels, it is important to prioritize solutions that avoid deepen the channels and riverbeds so as to avoid lowering the water table” („A talajvíz szintjét befolyásoló vízfolyások kezelése során fontos a medermélyítés (csatornák) és medermélyülés (folyók) talajvízszint-csökkentő hatását elkerülő megoldások előnyben részesítése”). In this relation is the disposal of the Hungarian National Climate Change Strategy (Nemzeti Éghajlatváltozási Stratégia), which emphasizes the avoidance of any action that may lower the level of water table (Chapter IV. This correlation is stated among others by the report of the European Environmental Agency titled Groundwater quality and quantity in Europe: „Changes in river flow characteristics, such as surface water abstractions, river channelization and dredging of river channels for various purposes, may lead to decreasing groundwater recharge.” And, dredging of the riverbed may decrease the level of water table of the whole area. Still, it is only a temporary solution and is definitely found demanding.
In 2018, River Danube showed the lowest ever level of water, which it held for months - virtually completely impossible for navigation.Īn actual policy paper worded that “recently the number of navigable days went under 250 days a year.” But how about the future? The Strategy on Adaption on Climate Change of the ICPDR (International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River) in 2013 (page 14) stated that („The tendency for drier summers strengthens during the course of the century…”ĭredging of the riverbed may give answers for the low level water discharge.
One of the great advantages of inland navigation is that there is no need for any construction here, as "water is there already, we only have to sail it.” The facts of recent years seem to contradict this. “Because the water is already there, we only have to sail it.” Many do not even doubt its reality, however data shows the opposite. It is a wildly distributed opinion that navigation is environment friendly, kind of green. The sentence is supposed to be said by Pompeius to his sailors when they had to transport grain from Sicily to Rome in the stormy see. But the original statement was longer, it was “Navigare necesse est, vivere non est necesse” (Navigation is necessary, living is not necessary). “Navigation is necessary” (Navigare necesse est), we quote often the old romans, mostly to support all plans for navigation developments.
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