(a) Highlight three advantages-and three disadvantages of water transport (b) Explain any four factors-that hinder the use of water transport

Answer Details

(a) Advantages and disadvantages of water transport

Three advantages:

• Cheapest for bulky goods: ships and barges can carry very large, heavy cargoes (oil, grain, ores) over long distances at low cost per tonne.
• Natural, ready-made routes: seas, oceans, rivers and lakes provide free routeways, so little construction is needed compared with roads and railways.
• Low fuel and maintenance cost per unit carried, and it links many countries and continents, promoting international trade.

Three disadvantages:

• Very slow, so it is unsuitable for perishable goods and urgent deliveries.
• Limited routes: it can serve only places on or near navigable water, and needs feeder transport to reach inland destinations.
• Affected by weather and needs costly port facilities; storms, fog, ice and shallow water can delay or endanger vessels.

(b) Four factors that hinder the use of water transport

• Shallow water, rapids, waterfalls and sand bars that block or interrupt navigation on rivers.
• Seasonal changes in water level (low water in the dry season, floods in the wet season) that make some rivers navigable only part of the year.
• Silting of channels, ports and river mouths, and the growth of aquatic weeds, which obstruct vessels.
• Freezing of rivers and lakes in cold regions, and adverse weather such as storms and fog; also the high cost of dredging and building/maintaining harbours.