Drought: Rhine River reaches historically low levels

Due to the current drought, the Rhine has reached extremely low water levels. In the week of 15 August 2022, the gauges showed 35 centimeters of water in Kaub, 91 cm in Cologne and 170 cm in Duisburg.

The Rhine accounts for 80% of the river transit in Germany. When the water level drops, ships are forced to travel at 25% of their loading capacity. This situation leads to increased shipping costs and reduced production at two nuclear power plants.

It is worth recalling that 160 million tons of goods are transported each year along this river, and a prolonged dry spell could cause a disruption in the supply chain with a 0.5 point drop in economic growth.

The Rhine recorded its lowest level in October 2018, 25 cm in Kaub, 69 cm in Cologne and 153 cm in Duisburg. River traffic was interrupted for a week resulting in a drop in industrial production and a 0.2 point decrease in German economic growth.