Freight News, Inland waterway


Climate change poses threat to canal freight

[ January 27, 2025   //   ]

Climate events are impacting canal operations and are widely forecast to get worse in the future, warns insurer TT Club.

In 2024, the hottest year on record globally, European waterways continued to  experience significant disruption to cargo transport.  In June the Rhine suffered torrential rain leading to severe flooding in southern Germany. Cargo handling was interrupted to and from Switzerland and caused substantial delays in inland traffic between the Lower and Upper Rhine.

Conversely, increased droughts have led to record low water levels on major rivers with some vessels carrying only 25% of their usual load to avoid running aground. Shipping lines have had to switch cargo from river to rail.

TT’s historical data points to a continuing rise in claims from weather-related losses over the last ten years including navigational and berthing accidents to collapse of cranes and port equipment collisions to container stacks blowing over, along with flood damage to buildings and infrastructure.

Neil Dalus from TT’s Loss Prevention department said: “Climate change effects on river navigation are significant as it is highly sensitive to changes in weather patterns and long-term climate trends. This challenge highlights the vulnerability of Europe’s inland waterway transport system, emphasizing the need for infrastructure improvements, planning for risk mitigation and workforce training to ensure operational resilience.”

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