Rural Inland Waterways Economic Impact Kit: A Synopsis

Abstract

The results of a project whose primary objective was the development of a PC-based kit that gives users the ability to perform an assessment of the economic impacts of existing rural inland waterway ports and terminals are reported. The kit’s design follows a step-by-step procedure that focuses on the economic impacts of cargo flows, port users’ industries, and capital expenditures through the port or terminal linkages to regional industrial structures and transportation systems. The kit is interactive, guiding users through the impact analysis, and allows the users to input data and modify the model’s data while maintaining a consistent approach throughout the analysis. The major elements of the kit are summarized, and in particular the derivation of the kit’s input-output model and major issues that had to be resolved in constructing the kit are focused on.