Europe's rivers are running dry

Extreme heat and low rainfall threaten to dry up a key part of the Rhine river, blocking passage through one of Europe’s most important shipping routes.

Why it matters: A shutdown of the Rhine, Germany’s most important river route and a passage for coal and fuel throughout the continent could not come at a worse time given Europe’s current energy crisis.

  • Every year ~300 million tonnes of goods are shipped along the Rhine between Basel, where Switzerland, Germany and France meet, and the North Sea, per Politico.

Zoom out: Other rivers, including Italy’s Po, France’s Rhone and Garrone, and the Danube (the EU’s longest river and another major trade route), are also at precariously low levels.

  • Trade along rivers adds US$80 billion to the EU’s economy, so disruptions can cause serious economic damage.

And it’s not just energy that would be affected. The transport of everything from grain to chemicals to car parts would be disrupted—not to mention tourism in the region, which depends on river cruise ships, you know, being able to cruise.

Bottom line: As heatwaves and droughts become more frequent and severe (thank you, climate change), rivers are becoming a less reliable way to move people and goods.