The advance of mega-vessels and the growing problems in our waterways.

From Sept. 7th to 11th, the Smart Rivers 2015 Conference took place in Buenos Aires.

This has been the most important conference on Waterways that has been held in our country.

In an interview by the Buenos Aires Herald of Sept. 14 Mr. F. Caude, President of PIANC declared:

Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia share the 3,400 kilometre-long Paraná- Paraguay Hidrovía, one of the world’s longest waterways. Caude said that PIANC holds an event every year, either the biennial Smart Rivers forum, or congresses, or the PIANC-COPEDEC (Coastal and Port Engineering in Developing Countries) forum to convene in Brazil next year. According to PIANC’s website, that conference is scheduled for October 16-21, 2016, most probably in Rio de Janeiro. Caude said: “PIANC thinks that there are lots of improvements to be made in the navigable river systems, especially in South America, where there is a large number of navigable basins. It would be useful to have a joint meeting with the International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO) and try to set up a new workshop on the main challenges. “In the Buenos Aires Conference there have been quite a lot of exchanges on projects that could be undertaken. It has been a very good opportunity for Argentine experts to share their experience with other experts.

And Major General Donald E. (Ed) Jackson, Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations of the US Army Corps of Engineers, told the Herald: “The value of PIANC for South America is that experts from all over the world had an opportunity to come and see the potential of inland waterways transportation here and use the experience, expertise and knowledge we gain from years of developing waterways in our own countries.”

Please see also the paper and PPT:

Lessons to be learned by Mercosur countries from River Management and Collaboration of the River Rhine.