Position:

Variant C/C_2,80 is an economic and ecologic compromise

DWSV – Deutscher Wasserstrassen- und Schiffahrtsverein Rhein-Main-Donau e.V. considers variant C/C_2,80 to be suitable for further reinforcement of the Danube because it is a compromise combining water regulating measures and building-up methods, by which important improvements for the inland navigation can be realized and ecological requirements can be met at the same time.

Reinforcement of the Danube – economy and ecology

The Danube valley between Straubing and Vilshofen is a landscape influenced by the hand of man during many centuries. The Danube between Straubing and Vilshofen with a length of 70 km is the most difficult sector with regard to nautical navigation of the whole 3.500 km long Rhine-Main-Danube waterway between the North Sea and the Black Sea. This sector is a strategic bottleneck reducing the efficiency of the entire Rhine-Main-Danube waterway. Due to permanently changing water volume in this area transportation on the Danube becomes unpredictable. Ecologically relevant modal shift to the transport system inland navigation and the economical development of industry, trade and logistic service providers can not be exploited.

Importance of the Danube as EC-development axis

Due to the enlargement of the EC the Danube has strongly gained importance as European connection and transportation corridor. The future economic development of the Eastern Danube states let expect an increase of freight voulme. For coping with this rise of freight volume especially in the South-Eastern EC entry states the Danube can play a vital role and make an important contribution for environmental relief. The Danube is the only waterway that builds a pan-European Corridor, No. VII of the TEN. Besides that the Danube is for some EC entry states the already well functioning link in their infrastructrual traffic network which has still to be developed.

Actual reinforcement activities

The Main-Danube waterway has been developed in the last decades – except of the Straubing – Vilshofen sector – to a draught of mimimum 2,50 meters. The Danube between Straubing – Vilshofen reaches a draught of only approx. 1,60 m at low water. In addition the efficiency of this waterway is negatively influenced by narrow water level width, narrow radius of bends and a stronger incline downstream of the Isar mouth. The nescessity of improvements for inland navigation in this sector indisputable: This is verified by the fact that the European Parliament and the European Council has included the Danube sector Straubing – Vilshofen in its list of those priority projects which have to be started before 2010.

Further reinforcement target: Flood protection for the population

The reinforcement of the Danube not only achieves a significant improvement for inland navigation but also as a matter of priority an important improvement of flood protection compared to the present situation.

Result of the environmental planning proceedings reinforcement of the Danube: C/C_2,80

For investigation whether the variants for the Danube reinforcment meet the requirements of environmental planning, the government of Lower Bavaria initiated  environmental planning proceedings in December 2003.

This process was terminated on March 8, 2006. As a result of thorough investigation and by considering opinions and statements of more than 100 particpants the Lower Bavarian government came to the conclusion that variant C/C_2,80, a combination of water regulating measures combined with one low dam at Aicha, is the only variant to be judged positively with regard to the requirements of environmental planning.

C/C_2,80 – A compromise combining water regulating measures and building-up methods

The following evaluation compares the three variants introduced into the environmental planning proceedings with regard to the investigated economic and ecologic requirements:

Requirements	Variant D2	Variant C/C2,80	Variant A
requirements of overriding importance
ecologic	negative	positive	positive
economic	positive	positive	negative
specific requirements
transport	positive	C2,80 positive	negative
industry and commerce	positive	C2,80 positive	negative
settlement	positive (with proviso)	positive (with proviso)	positive (with proviso)
preservation of ancient monuments	still positive (by proviso)	still positive (by proviso)	still positive (by proviso)
tourism / recreation	positive (with proviso)	positive (with proviso)	positive (with proviso)
farming	still positive (by proviso)	positive (with proviso)	positive (with proviso)
forestry	still positive (by proviso)	positive (with proviso)	positive (with proviso)
commercial fishing	still positive (by proviso)	positive (with proviso)	positive (with proviso)
ecologically relevant protection objects, animals and plants (nature and landscape)	negative	still positive (by proviso)	positive (with proviso)
water
flood protection	positive	positive	positive
water course ecology	negative	still positive (by proviso)	still positive (by proviso)
mankind
noise and climate protection,	positive (with proviso)	positive (with proviso)	positive (with proviso)
air pollution prevention	positive (with proviso)	positive (with proviso)	negative
soil	still positive (by proviso)	positive (with proviso)	positive (with proviso)
protectorates	negative	still positive (by proviso)	positive (with proviso)

The best variant for inland navigation D₂ does not cover the ecological aspects and variant A fails clearly with regard to economical aspects. Variant C/C_2,80 meets both requirements because it is a compromise combining water regulating measures and building-up methods.

Conclusion:

Variant C/C_2,80 – with necessary and defined proviso – is a solution that meets both, ecological and economical requirements. Variant C/C_2,80 can even cover the increasing transport demands: C/C_2,80

· allows inland navigation on 290 days per year the necessary draught of 2,50 m (compared to variant A: 185 days per year only),

· provides 0,70 m more draught (compared to variant A which has only 0,20 m more),

· enables inland navigation to offer a transport capacity up to 18,94 Mio. tons per year (compared to variant A which offers only 9,7 Mio. tons – actual state is around 8,0 Mio. tons),

· defuses and straightens out bottlenecks that are responsible for accidents, reduces the amount of ship damages und increases the navigational possibilities,

· supports the modal shift of transports to the environment friendly carrier ship measured at the prime energy demand, CO₂-emission per ton/km (one large barge substitutes 69 freight trucks). On the basis of the present traffic prognosis variant A would contribute to an increase of streetbased freight traffic,

· enables a better integration of inland navigation in modern logistic chains of an European Union that is developing along side the Danube and

· necessary operations influencing the environment can be fully compensated when realizing variant C/C_2,80.