POTENTIAL OF UKRAINE’S INLAND WATER TRANSPORT AS A FACTOR OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Topicality. In the contemporary landscape, inland waterway transport holds a significant position in the global movement of commodities. The potential for increasing the share of inland waterway transport in various modes of transportation is very significant. Compared to other modes of transport, which often face problems of congestion and capacity, inland waterway transport is reliable, energy efficient, and has high throughput. Developed countries are striving to promote and strengthen the competitiveness of inland waterways in the transport system and facilitate their integration into intermodal logistics chains. Based on this, the potential of inland waterway transport in Ukraine requires a comprehensive study and exploration of opportunities to improve it.Aim and tasks. To study the theoretical and methodological foundations for the development of river cargo transportation and develop recommendations for increasing the potential of inland waterway transport in Ukraine.Materials and Methods. The conceptual and methodological basis of the study is the fundamental provisions of leading foreign and domestic scientists and experts in the theory and practice of market development patterns and conditions of inland waterway transport. The information base of the study is the regulatory legal acts of Ukraine, the European Union, official publications of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority, the State Service of Sea and River Transport of Ukraine, as well as the results of the author's own research. In the process of conducting the study, the following general scientific and special methods and approaches were applied: systemic and structural approach, comparative analysis, methods of statistical analysis, functional synthesis and economic and mathematical methods, as well as an analysis of the inland waterway transport sector of Ukraine with a graphical presentation of information using methods of economic and statistical analysis, detailing and comparison.Research results. The scientific and applied principles of determining the potential and competitive advantages of the inland waterway transport sector are studied, taking into account cargo flows, market structure and characteristics of its agents, factors that constrain the development of IWT on both the supply and demand sides, peculiarities of legal regulation, infrastructure characteristics and technical capabilities of economic entities in the studied sector, as well as the importance in ensuring the socio--economic recovery of Ukraine, which allows to identify and systematize the strengths and weaknesses of the sector. The article also forms an algorithm for strengthening the potential and competitive advantages of the inland waterway transport of Ukraine, which is based on the use of legal, regulatory, investment, cooperation, and information and communication tools.Conclusion. Inland waterway transport is more environmentally friendly, safer and more economical than any other mode of transportation. Today, Ukraine's inland waterways play a secondary role in the country's transportation system. To enhance the potential of Ukraine's inland waterway transport, it is necessary to: develop sectoral transport programs with a balanced distribution of cargo flows between modes of transport; create a favorable investment climate; actively introduce innovative technologies; create a competitive market for foreign and national agents in the field of inland waterway transportation, as well as favorable conditions for the development of multimodal transportation. These measures will contribute to strengthening the potential of Ukraine's inland waterway transport, especially in the postwar period.In order to support the Ukrainian economy and provide more diverse transportation and logistics opportunities, the development of inland waterways should be promoted. This will create a more efficient and sustainable logistics system with green transportation, which in turn will have a significant impact on the socio--economic development and environment of Ukraine.