(PHOTO) Low Danube water levels: One of Europe's largest rivers looks like a pond, or even the Sahara, in places

The Danube River, a major European waterway, is currently resembling a shallow pond or even a desert in some sections due to historically low water levels. This situation, particularly severe in northern Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, and Romania, is attributed to prolonged periods of drought and high temperatures.

Hydrologist Dejan Vladiković warns that the critically low water levels, caused by a deficit in rainfall during March, April, and May, could necessitate water supply restrictions in parts of Serbia by August. Near Bezdan, the Danube's water level has dropped to minus 120 centimeters, approaching the historical minimum of minus 143 centimeters recorded in 1909.

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Historical low water levels of the Danube, caused by a prolonged lack of precipitation and high temperatures, could lead to water supply restrictions in parts of Serbia as early as August.

In Novi Sad, the lowest water level was recorded on July 20, with the Danube being 44 centimeters below the reference point. The public enterprise "Srbijavoda" has announced measures to clean the most affected sections of the river, anticipating similar or worse conditions on the Danube and other rivers over the next 45 days.

The drought and low water flow are also significantly impacting the operation of the Đerdap 1 and Đerdap 2 hydroelectric power plants, according to Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS). The Danube flows through ten countries, highlighting the transboundary nature of this environmental and economic challenge.

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The hydrological situation across Serbia is very unfavorable, especially on the Danube, which is caused by a deficit of precipitation in March, April, and May.