KLIWAS - Impact of Climate Change on Waterways and Navigation – Options to Adapt | Umweltbundesamt

Background and Goals

In Germany, there are increasing indications that climate change triggered by greenhouse gas emissions has begun (e.g. 4th situation report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007). For the purposes of forward-looking planning, it is therefore essential to estimate the impact of possible change on people, the environment and the economy and to devise adaptation strategies - regardless of whether people can contribute to limiting global climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate change, with its potential impact on sea levels, the water balance in river areas, water quality and ecological relationships, can influence the capabilities and management of watercourses as transportation routes. The Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development (BMVBS) has commissioned several specialist bodies - the German National Meteorological Office (DWD), the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), the Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG) and the Federal Institute for Hydraulic Engineering (BAW) - to apply the scientific principles of climate effect research to waterways and shipping and to develop adaptation strategies to ensure the capacity of these transportation routes in the future. As part of this initiative, the specialist bodies from the BMVBS produced an inventory of the possible effects on waterways and maritime/inland shipping.

Based on the results of the 1st phase, the research programme "KLIWAS - Effects of Climate Change on Waterways and Shipping - Development of Adaptation Options" has been running since the beginning of 2009, with a considerably broader frame of reference. In this project, the BMVBS's association of research institutions cooperates closely with the national and international academic network. They will advise the federal government on the shipping/waterways sector, e.g. in the context of the requirements of the German climate change adaptation strategy. The results of the KLIWAS programme will have cross-sectoral importance for hydrology. As well as coordinating the entire research network, which has 31 projects, the BfG is responsible for running projects in the areas of drainage modelling, sediment transfer, water quality and ecology.

The objective of the project is to investigate the effects of climate change on waterways. Core questions in the 1st phase are: How will the climate in Central Europe change between now and 2100? How will this affect drainage and water levels in different sections of navigable rivers (e.g. the Rhine)? What are the expected consequences of these changes for the Rhine, the most important inland waterway in Europe?

In the 2nd phase, possible actions for the economy and inland shipping will be formulated: What the best adaptation strategies for companies that depend on the reliability of waterways? What management measures from the Federal Water and Shipping Administration (WSV) will sustainably protect and improve the Rhine as a transport route?

The investigations are initially concentrating on the Rhine. However, the methods to be developed will be created with a view to planned applicability to other waterways.

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