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🇸🇪 Sweden /Environment & Climate

Europe's major rivers nearly dry – 'season over' for navigation

From Svenska Dagbladet · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Major European rivers like the Danube and Rhine are experiencing critically low water levels for the third time in a decade, impacting shipping, tourism, and nuclear power.
  • Low water levels have caused cargo ships to reduce loads, leading to soaring freight prices during peak harvest season.
  • Climate change is cited as the primary cause, with experts warning that such events are likely to become more frequent and severe.

Europe's vital waterways are drying up, with the Danube, Rhine, and other major rivers reaching alarmingly low levels. This is the third time in a decade such a severe drought has hit the continent, disrupting shipping, crippling tourism, and forcing nuclear power plants to reduce production.

The season is already over when it comes to boat excursions.

— Radovan SegrtA houseboat owner in Budapest describing the impact of low water levels on tourism.

Radovan Segrt, a houseboat owner in Budapest, described the situation as "the season is already over" for boat excursions. The Danube's water level in Budapest is now a decimeter lower than the previous record set in 2018. The river has receded significantly, leaving 15 to 20 meters of exposed shoreline.

The river has retreated 15 to 20 meters from the shoreline.

— Radovan SegrtDescribing the visible impact of the drought on the Danube River.

Beyond tourism, these rivers are crucial economic arteries. Johan Woxenius, a professor of shipping, transport economics, and logistics, noted that "raw materials, oil, iron ore, coal, grain" are typically transported in large volumes. Now, some barges can only carry 15 to 20 percent of their usual load due to the risk of running aground. This drastic reduction in capacity, coupled with soaring prices, is occurring during the peak harvest season for many goods, including grains.

The big items in volume are raw materials, oil, iron ore, coal, grain.

— Johan WoxeniusA professor of shipping economics explaining the types of goods affected by low river levels.

Experts attribute these recurring droughts to climate change. The low water levels are impacting nuclear power plants in Hungary and Romania, which rely on the Danube for cooling water, forcing them to scale back operations or shut down entirely. The situation is so dire that in some areas along the Romania-Bulgaria border, people can reportedly wade across the river. The stark visual of the famous Margaret Bridge's foundations in Budapest being exposed serves as a shocking testament to the changing climate and its profound impact on Europe's essential infrastructure.

It is shocking to see the difference between then and now.

— Gábor KertészA photographer in Budapest commenting on the exposed foundations of the Margaret Bridge.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Svenska Dagbladet in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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