(Eastern floods; 02-02; p.5)

But there are solutions to mitigate the effects of floods which are well-known and don't need be reiterated here. Most of them are spanning across the field of economic utility and ecological compatibility.
Using water-ways for container goods e.g. does make sense from an ecological point of view since it does not overly draw on resources and thereby reduces carbon dioxide emissions. For utilising the advantages connected with inland shipping, on the other hand one needs rivers not too shallow and bends not too narrow. That in turn leads to higher flow rates and less possibilities for flood waters to trickle away. A river Danube that allows shipping all the way e.g. has to be arranged with a riverside largely not inhabited nor cultivated in order to provide enough space for flood waters.
Alternatively using railways is out of scope of the company's management concepts possessing the tracks and trains: its profit-making strategy is orientated towards long distance passenger traffic. The biggest share of container goods therefore will foreseeably be transported on roads as is the case now. The costs of this form of transport are relatively low. But this is made possible only by a permanent struggle for survival of carrier companies and according harsh work conditions of the truckers.
Concepts of so-called combined traffic are available from logistics experts. They suggest to transport goods over long distances between central trans-shipment centres by train or ship and to do the short distances to customers by truck. Technical hindrances do not exist since European norms have been created and engineers have done their work. Alas, combined traffic has not yet been promoted nor substantially supported by governments and consequently has not been an option for most companies.

Thus, to support an economically feasible and nonetheless ecologically compatible policy is a future task for governments. It can be achieved only on the European level and instead of national lobbyism good governance is needed, i.e. co-operation between administrations. That way the clash of civilisations predicted at some places might at least be postponed facing the splash of flooded nations.

(End of article)