Challenge
Climate-proofing our shipping infrastructure networks requires rethinking our entire system. 

•    Although inland navigation can accommodate freight volumes that exceed rail and road transport by far, drought is its biggest challenge ahead, as recently experienced during the droughts of 2018 and 2022. Low water levels required extraordinary reduction of vessel drafts invoking much smaller cargo volumes, in turn limiting the navigation capacity for critical (bulk) commodities, such as coal, ore, building materials, chemicals and fuel. The result has been a multibillion euro damage to the European economy. 
•    Infrastructure managers, skippers, industry and their clients need to adapt to this challenge urgently, and should rethink future navigation infrastructure systems, services and operations in a broader context. Next to financing the transition to alternative, green vessel and infrastructure concepts, this includes the systemic issue of accommodating the EU Green Deal policy framework as well as the issue of authorities collaborating on unprecedented levels: across modes (road-rail-water), across sectors (mobility-energy-data), and across borders (strategic cross continental transport corridors).  
•    All infrastructure authorities face the preservation of their current network services as a big challenge, let alone upgrading it for future demands and requirements, such as from electrification, digitalization and climate adaptation.
•    Addressing these challenges simultaneously in order to future proof our transport networks will be beyond business as usual, it requires rethinking of our current ways and measures. 

The discussion will focus on
Exchanging views, approaches and strategies on how the various countries are dealing with climate adaptation and cross border issues, and exploring common grounds from a systems perspective that may be brought to relevant international forums for further discussion.

Goals
o    Better understanding each nation’s experience and approach
o    An in depth discussion identifying shared strategies and measures
o    Discussing new collaboration opportunities, for example in the context of EU-programs