Feasibility Study of Inland Waterway on Kabul River

Abstract

According to a recent National Highway Authority report, Pakistan's trade volume will expand by more than fourfold by 2025. The country's current transportation infrastructure development trajectory indicates that highways and motorways will account for most of this volume. According to existing research, inland waterways can transport 70 and 16 times more freight than highways and railroads, respectively. In addition, waterways are 700/70 times safer than roads/railroads in terms of accidents, 5/3 times more fuel efficient, and 11/1.5 times less polluting. As a result, inland waterways constitute an apparent mode of transportation in both developed and developing countries. Despite the presence of many rivers, Pakistan lacks this means of transportation. In this study, the potential of inland water transportation on Kabul River was studied, and it was discovered that it is technically feasible and can be socioeconomically sustainable if executed in a methodical phase-by-phase manner