Germany’s federal waterways – A linear infrastructure network for nature and transport

Major rivers are unique linear structures because they serve different purposes simultaneously: A habitat and dispersal route for flora and fauna as well as a navigation route, the site for recreational and economic activities and a source for drinking water and irrigation. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that waterways must be developed in an environmentally and economically sustainable and socially responsible manner. The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) and its specialised agencies – the Waterways and Shipping Administration of the German Federal Government (WSV), the Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG) and the Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute (BAW) – are aiming to achieve this goal by integrating environmental issues into the development and maintenance of waterways. This paper aims to fill the gap on the one hand between scientific analyses of ecological freshwater status and proposals for its improvement, and, on the other hand, bringing this knowledge into practical realisation. Recent activities at the German federal waterways are exemplarily reviewed on the basis of applied research projects, local projects, political programmes and progressive legislation.