Low water levels could halt shipping operations on a critical stretch of the river Rhine and bisect one of Europe’s most vital waterways into two disconnected zones.
According to Jens Schwanen, managing director of the Federal Association of German Inland Shipping, water levels at the Kaub gauging station, which lies south of Koblenz along a bottleneck on the middle part of the river, could plunge into single digits due to low rainfall this year.
If this happens, barges carrying cargo, excursion vessels, cruise ships and others will not be able to navigate the area, which would severely disrupt river transport between the northern maritime centres and the industrial corridors in the south.
Though shipping would continue in segments, between the ARA ports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Antwerp and the northern German canal network, or along southern tributaries like the Main, Moselle, and Neckar rivers, the Rhine will not be fully navigable.
The economic impact of this would be significant for Western Europe’s industrial supply chains, as the river handles
Content Original Link:
" target="_blank">
