[ad_1]
Germany’s main industry lobby group warned on Tuesday that factories may have to limit production or stop production altogether as plunging water levels on the Rhine make it more difficult to transport goods.
The Rhine River in Emmerich, near the Dutch border, dropped another 4 cm (1.6 inches) in 24 hours, and the water level on the depth gauge was zero.
Authorities said the waterway itself was still nearly 200 centimeters (6 feet 6 inches) deep, but Tuesday’s record-low measurements underscored the extreme water shortage in much of Europe due to months of drought.
“Continued drought and low water levels threaten the security of supply for industry,” said Holger Loesch, deputy head of business lobby group BDI.
Mr Loesch said that with limited rail capacity and a lack of drivers, it was difficult to transfer goods from rivers to trains or conveyances.
“It’s only a matter of time before facilities in the chemical and steel industries shut down, oil and construction materials can’t reach their destinations, and bulk and heavy cargo shipments can no longer take place,” he said, adding that this could lead to supply bottlenecks and potentially short-term work .
Energy supplies could also be further strained as ships carrying coal and gasoline along the Rhine are affected, he warned.
He echoed concerns that climate change could make future droughts more frequent, and urged the government to help monitor water levels closely and respond early to potential traffic problems on Germany’s waterways.
[ad_2]
Source link