BERLIN: A hot,
dry summer has left German rivers and lakes at record low water levels, causing chaos for the inland shipping industry, environmental damage and billions of euros in losses — a scenario that could portend the future as global temperatures rise.
The drought-like conditions have hit nearly 90% of the country this year. In
Magdeburg, the Elbe River has been so low that no ships carrying goods south to Leipzig or on to the
Czech Republic have been able to pass through since the end of June, said Hartmut Rhein of the city’s waterways and shipping department.
The river’s down to a depth of about 50 centimeters (less than 20 inches) there, when at least double that level is needed for normal shipping traffic, he said.
The situation is similar across Germany. The Rhine has hit its lowest water levels ever at several points, and other major rivers like the
Danube, the Weser and the Main are all far below normal.
On the waterways that are still navigable, the lower water levels have actually led to increased shipping traffic, as companies pack less weight onto boats so they don’t ride so low in the water. That means they must send more vessels out to carry the same amount of freight. That has sent freight prices skyrocketing, and some costs are already being felt by consumers, with higher prices at gas pumps and for home heating oil.
With such widespread drought, Ger many’s agricultural industry is also struggling. There have been shortages of feed for livestock and the country’s grain harvest is forecast to drop to 36 million tonnes this year.
Northern and eastern Germany saw their warmest summer ever recorded in 2018, and central Germany had its lowest rainfall ever, according to the German Weather Service. Most of Germany has been in the middle of the dry zone. While there has been some relief from the drought in the British Isles and
Scandinavia, the drought is still plaguing Germany.