On 4 September, the Port of Strasbourg (France) unveiled its strategic plan for 2024-2028. The document outlines the authority’s key policy directions for the period, along with the port’s investment trajectory for the next ten years, with a total budget of €131 million. Some €70 million has been earmarked for developing the South multimodal hub, including the modernisation of existing rail infrastructures. One of the plan’s main objectives is to decarbonise the port’s activities and local industry, with a low-carbon industrial zone (known as a “Zibac”) designed to attract more environmentally-friendly businesses, such as renewable energy firms. An additional €11 million will be spent on measures aimed at integrating the port more seamlessly into its local environment, including improvements to the network of cycle paths.

The navigability of the Mississippi River and its tributaries is becoming more difficult as a result of the drought, with serious repercussions for American food exports and the agricultural industry. Droughts and their impacts on shipping have major consequences, not only forcing farmers to find alternative outlets for their products, but also putting more goods traffic on the roads and pushing up global food prices. Shipping costs on the Mississippi have risen, due to barges being forced to sail with smaller loads to avoid grounding on sandbanks.

The city of Linhares (Brazil) has granted legal recognition to the waves formed at the mouth of the Doce River into the Atlantic, giving them the right to exist, regenerate, and be restored. This means the waves must form naturally and keep their water clean. The city must protect the river’s physical shape, ecological cycles, and water’s chemical makeup through public policies and funding. Guardians have been appointed to represent the waves in decision-making. This measure was taken after a dam collapsed, causing mud and mining waste to disrupt the waves. Granting legal personhood to the waves aims to improve fishing and tourism and protect water quality and residents’ health.

The Floating Wave is to be installed in Hamburg’s (Germany) Dockland on a floating pontoon by 2026. The artificial surf wave has several advantages compared to other existing ones. Additionally to everyone being able to learn to surf on it in a few hours, the Floating Wave will use the water from the Elbe River directly instead of drinking water. With the technology that the floating pontoon will be equipped with, it will also consume half as much electricity and will be able to adapt to the position of the tide in the river. A floating garden around it ensures even more sustainability and a gastronomy with a beach club feeling should also attract non-surfers.

Greek Prime Minister announced on Sunday 7^th of September a new 20€ tax on cruise ship visitors arriving to the islands of Santorini and Mykonos during the peak season. These additional revenues will be partly destined for the local communities for infrastructural investments. Other measures include the regulation of the number of cruise ships arriving to some ports, and new rules to protect the environment and tackle water scarcity. This decision arrives after several messages from his government pointing in this direction. The Greek Union of Cruise Ship Owners and Associated Members (EEKFN) had previously actions to diminish the impact of large cruise tourism crowds, including a strict berth allocation system developed, as well as a gradual increase in port fees. The rules come accompanied by new demands focusing on infrastructure improvements and investments on energy transition. These proposals arrive after a heated summer in many European destinations where local communities are expressing their opposition to overtourism.