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Austria records driest year in 176 years as low rivers squeeze German builders and reservoirs

· Environment DEUAUT
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Austria has endured its driest 12 months in 176 years of records, Geosphere Austria said, as drought deepened across the region after rivers from the Rhine to the Elbe disrupted shipping.

Record-low water on the Rhine and other German rivers is now pressing on the construction sector, with vessels forced to cut cargoes and delay deliveries of building materials. The German Construction Industry Association warned of supply bottlenecks if conditions persist, and its director Tim-Oliver Müller said firms may need extra ships or a shift to rail. Transport costs per tonne rise sharply when Rhine ships carry only a fraction of their load, said RWI economist Torsten Schmidt.

Germany's Edersee reservoir is down to roughly 16 percent capacity, partly due to water releases to maintain levels on the Oberweser and Mittelland Canal. Swimming at Waldeck has been suspended and authorities warned against bathing at Rehbach over blue-green algae.

Story development

  1. Austria records driest year in 176 years as low rivers squeeze German builders and reservoirs
  2. Rhine water levels at Kaub hit record low, halting navigation as wildfire forces evacuations
  3. German wildlife face dehydration as low rivers disrupt freight and Swiss waters hit record lows
  4. German states suspend Sunday truck ban as low river levels choke freight
  5. Europe's water crisis deepens as France imposes restrictions across 99 departments and rivers expose sunken wrecks
  6. Four German states lift Sunday truck ban to ease drought-hit freight bottlenecks
  7. Germany considers lifting Sunday truck ban as Rhine low-water crisis triggers summit
  8. Drought drives European hydropower output to historic lows as energy prices surge
  9. Rhine gauges plunge to fresh record lows as drought widens across Europe
  10. Hungary's Paks nuclear plant to shut down completely as European drought deepens
  11. Rhine gauge at Cologne breaks 2018 record low as drought deepens across Europe
  12. Hungary shuts Paks nuclear plant entirely as Danube drought deepens energy crisis

Covered by 15 outlets across 6 countries

Sources

The reporting this story is built on

derstandard.at AUT Die vergangenen zwölf Monate waren in Österreich die trockensten der Messgeschichtealjazeera.net QAT جفاف الأنهار في ألمانيا يرفع تكاليف البناء ويؤخر المشاريعdw.com DEU Dürre in Deutschland und Europa: Je trockener, desto teurern-tv.de DEU Leerer Edersee für Urlauber "interessant, aber eine Katastrophe"
Additional coverage

Others reporting the same event

focus.de DEU Rhein-Dürre: „Niedrigwasser lässt sich nicht wegbaggern“volkskrant.nl NLD Duitse scheepsvaart ploetert door lage Rijn, tegen hoge prijs: ‘We hebben vier keer zoveel schepen nodig’euronews.com Ξηρασία Ρήνου, καύσωνες, θάνατοι: πρέπει η Γερμανία να θωρακίσει νομικά το κλίμα;watson.ch CHE Dank dem Regen: Die Pegelstände am Rhein in Deutschland steigen wiederzeit.de DEU Regen nach Trockenheit: Die Pegelstände am Rhein steigen wiederspiegel.de DEU Rhein-Niedrigwasser: BASF drosselt in Ludwigshafen erste Anlagennrc.nl NLD Exit zomerhitte, eindelijk buien. Maar: ‘Eén week regen lost geen twee maanden droogte op’tagesanzeiger.ch CHE Fähre Horgen-Meilen: Tiefer Wasserstand zwingt Lastwagen auf den Landweg um den Zürichsee

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