Report Launch Event: Developing Inland Waterways Transportation in China

The purpose of this event is to officially launch the report – Blue routes for a New Era: Developing Inland Waterways Transportation in China.  The report is a retrospective of how Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) in China was revived over the past 40 years.  It sheds light on “what”, “how” and “why” China revived IWT into a vibrant mode of transport, which is relevant to policy makers in emerging economies who are grappling with challenges of developing or revitalizing IWT in their countries.

The insights in this report will also contribute towards our overall knowledge of the values of rivers, increase awareness of IWT and stimulate conversations on improved stewardship of rivers around the world.

The transport system and infrastructure has been the backbone of China’s rapid economic growth and poverty reduction since the reform and opening up started in 1978. Since 1990, China has added over 120,000km of railways, 130,000km of expressways, 3.0 million km of roads and 127,000km of navigable Inland waterways.  From an IWT system that carried less than 150 million tons in 1978, IWT in China carried 3.7 billion tons of cargo in 2018, six times more than all the other inland waterways in the world. China now has the busiest IWT system in the world.

This report is the second product of a retrospective study series by the World Bank with focus on five transport areas - high-speed rail, highways, urban transport, ports, and inland waterways - to identify lessons from China’s experience that may be relevant to other emerging economies. The retrospectives are supported and funded by China-World Bank Partnership Facility (CWPF).  Their dissemination and related knowledge exchange activities will be facilitated via the Transport Transformation and Innovation Knowledge Platform (TransFORM).

As shown in the event agenda, the authors will share highlights of the report; globally respected experts in Inland waterways transportation will make presentations on new thinking and innovations in inland waterways transportation, smart rivers and the role of new technology; and officials from authorities responsible for developing and managing IWT will share their experiences.