One of Europe's longest rivers, the Rhine, is drying up so severely that it risks being effectively split in two, Germany's Inland Shipping Association has warned, with freight traffic potentially grinding to a complete halt.
The association's managing director, Jens Schwanen, told the newspaper Rheinische Post that water levels at the Kaub measuring station could fall to single-digit figures due to a lack of rainfall. Kaub sits on one of the Rhine's shallowest stretches, forming a natural bottleneck for vessels navigating the river.
"At such low water levels, commercial shipping will not be able to transport goods. The same applies to cruise ships", Schwanen said, adding that navigation along the Rhine's entire length could become impossible.
Schwanen noted that vessels would still be able to travel from ports in the Netherlands to the northern section of the German Rhine. Farther south, traffic would have to be diverted onto the river's tributaries, including the Main and Moselle rivers, as well as the Main-Danube Canal.
(jh)
Source: Polish Radio