Sustainability of global Golden Inland Waterways
Authors
Jinren Ni, Peking University
Yichu Wang, Peking University
Xiabin Chen, Peking University
Alistair G.L. Borthwick, School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics
Tianhong Li, Peking University
Huaihan Liu, National Inland Waterway Regulation Engineering Technology Research Center
Shengfa Yang, Chongqing Jiaotong University
Chunmiao Zheng, Southern University of Science and Technology
Jianhua Xu, Peking University
Abstract
AbstractSustainable inland waterways should meet the needs of navigation without compromising the health of riverine ecosystems. Here we propose a hierarchical model to describe sustainable development of the Golden Inland Waterways (GIWs) which are characterized by great bearing capacity and transport need. Based on datasets from 66 large rivers (basin area > 100,000 km2) worldwide, we identify 34 GIWs, mostly distributed in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America, typically following a three-stage development path from the initial, through to the developing and on to the developed stage. For most GIWs, the exploitation ratio, defined as the ratio of actual to idealized bearing capacity, should be less than 80% due to ecological considerations. Combined with the indices of regional development, GIWs exploitation, and riverine ecosystem, we reveal the global diversity and evolution of GIWs’ sustainability from 2015 to 2050, which highlights the importance of river-specific strategies for waterway exploitation worldwide.
DOI
10.1038/s41467-020-15354-1
Publication Date
2020-03-25
Publication Title
Nature Communications
Embargo Period
9999-12-31
Recommended Citation
Ni, J.,
Wang, Y.,
Chen, X.,
Borthwick, A.,
Li, T.,
Liu, H.,
Yang, S.,
Zheng, C.,
&
Xu, J.
(2020)
'Sustainability of global Golden Inland Waterways',
Nature Communications, 11(1).
Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15354-1
