Last week, a total of 186 individuals had to be rescued from the cruise ship Viking Ullur after it became stranded on a sandbank in the Danube River. Many other travelers found themselves stuck, unable to journey between Vienna and Budapest. Passengers watched from the deck, surrounded by the historical grandeur of the Habsburg era, while the water level in Budapest plummeted to 41 centimeters, just 8 centimeters above its record low from 2018. Along the Hungarian segment of the river, additional record lows were also reported.
In Romania, conditions were similarly dire, with the Danube reaching its lowest water levels since 1996. The river’s flow was measured at Baziaș, where it enters Romania, at only 1,700 cubic meters per second, significantly below the July average of 4,700 cubic meters per second. As a result, ferry operations and grain barge transport were suspended.
The Danube, while often associated with picturesque scenery, is one of several major European rivers currently grappling with the effects of severe drought this summer. To the north, the Rhine—an essential freshwater transport corridor—experienced record low levels, with measurements at Kaub dropping to approximately 40 centimeters, prompting emergency measures for shipping, which limited barge loads to as little as 20% of their usual capacity.
The increasing frequency and severity of these summer droughts have taken even seasoned experts by surprise. In 2018, Germany’s meteorological agency labeled that summer as a “Jahrhundertsommer,” a once-in-a-century event, as the Rhine remained at low water levels for 132 days. “We must prevent the repeat of the events of 2018,” stated Andreas Scheuer, who was then the federal transport minister. However, similar conditions have reemerged.
In 2022, scientists in the European Union characterized the continent-wide drought as the worst in over five centuries. The following year, Germany recorded its driest March ever, followed by another season of low water levels. This July, the Danube’s water levels reached lows typically seen only in October during the 2018 drought, leading to an annual crisis that is now occurring earlier each year.
A study conducted by Dr. Sehrish Usman at the University of Mannheim, in collaboration with economists from the European Central Bank, revealed that last summer’s heatwaves, droughts, and floods affected a quarter of all EU regions, leading to immediate economic losses of at least €43 billion, with projections estimating a total impact of €126 billion by 2029. The Kiel Institute has determined that a single month of low water on the Rhine can reduce German industrial output by roughly 1%.
The widespread wildfires currently ravaging Europe are intrinsically linked to this ongoing crisis. Both phenomena stem from a common cause: a warming atmosphere that absorbs soil moisture faster than rainfall can replenish it. As a result, parched soil cannot sustain rivers or vegetation, which in turn fuels the wildfires. France has reported over three times its average annual wildfire count this summer, with soil moisture levels recorded by Météo-France at their lowest for this time of year. The fires, similar to the river crisis, are occurring earlier than anticipated.
Quantifying the ecological damage caused by these events is challenging. In 2018, Swiss officials removed approximately one ton of dead grayling from the Rhine, equating to around 30% of the annual catch, as water temperatures exceeded 25 degrees Celsius. By 2022, the reintroduced Atlantic salmon, which had taken decades to restore, were unable to reach their spawning habitats. As water levels decreased, pollutant concentrations increased. In 2022, oxygen levels in the Danube neared the critical threshold for trout survival. Measures such as dredging were halted, and wastewater treatment facilities were placed on standby. This month, Romania faced the unprecedented decision to close nuclear power plants that rely on Danube water for cooling, declaring a nationwide state of emergency. To alleviate the situation, 180 kilograms of explosives were used to clear a rock obstructing the river’s flow, extending operations at one reactor for a few more days. Meanwhile, Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant, which usually provides nearly half of the country’s energy, is at risk of shutting down within days.
Approximately seven years ago, I began researching the ongoing challenges facing Europe’s major waterways and reached out to Christina Gruber, a marine biologist and artist in Vienna, who has been observing these changes for a long time. I sought insight into how these environmental shifts impact the communities that have built their identities and cultures around these rivers. She shared a story about an island where her friends used to swim during summer to escape the adults. By 2019, it had become accessible by foot. The decline of fishers on the Danube is also evident, as they fade from a waterway that has sustained them since at least 300 BC. The knowledge of the river is disappearing along with the water itself.
In 1986, the Italian scholar Claudio Magris journeyed along the Danube from its source to its delta, penning a book on the significance of rivers. He portrayed the Danube as the connective thread of Mitteleuropa, linking Vienna’s concert halls, Budapest’s parliament, and a rich tapestry of Ottoman, Habsburg, and Byzantine history that has developed over centuries into what many consider a shared civilization. The Rhine serves as Germany’s industrial backbone, transporting coal and iron ore essential to the nation’s identity.
Magris was already highlighting the cultural decline of rivers before water levels became a focal issue. The term “century event” has been removed from official discussions, replaced by terms such as “all-time low,” “historic,” and “30-year low,” reflecting seven consecutive years of record-breaking conditions. Unfortunately, this language continues to treat each summer as an isolated incident, fostering hopes for a return to normalcy that seem increasingly elusive.
