In two years, the total length of economically navigable waterways in Brazil increased by 279 kilometers, going from 20,100 km in 2022 to 20,400 in 2024, representing an increase of 1.39%. The data comes from the Economically Navigable Waterways Study (VEN), conducted every two years by the National Waterway Transportation Agency (Antaq).
The new values were approved at the Ordinary Meeting of the Agency’s Board of Directors (ROD). The survey updates the data of the waterway transport matrix on the origin and destination of cargo and passengers in the waterway network, based on information obtained by the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (DNIT).
Director Caio Farias, who reported on the process, emphasized that these numbers “highlight the potential for coordination with neighboring countries in South America, through cross-border waterway corridors, contributing to the strengthening of regional and international logistics.”
The study also breaks down the results by Hydrographic Region. Once again, the North region recorded the largest increase in its river network, with a rise of 3.56%. This reinforces the strategic importance of river transport for territorial integration, especially for this region.
With the update, the relationship between the currently economically navigable river network, of 20.4 thousand kilometers, and that foreseen in the National Waterway Plan (PNV), of 41.7 thousand kilometers, rises to almost 49%.
Since it operates half of Brazil’s waterways and represents one of the most sustainable modes of transport, Antaq works on public policies that encourage the use of waterways, such as waterway concessions.
Waterways are four to five times less polluting than road transport and emit 1.5 times less carbon than railways. Furthermore, they have lower implementation and operating costs than road and rail transport, reduce the percentage of fatal accidents, and decrease the rate of cargo theft and loss.
