Overview
- The Danube has fallen to record or multi-decade lows across several countries, a decline linked by scientists to human-caused climate change.
- Operators have cut or shut river-cooled reactors and reduced hydropower output, with Hungary’s Paks and Romania’s Cernavodă taken partly or fully offline to avoid overheating.
- Emergency engineering is under way to add centimetres to local water levels, including drilling, blasting rock, dredging and plans to sink loaded barges to keep cooling water flowing to plants.
- Low flows have stranded pleasure boats and cargo vessels, forced reduced cargo loads and suspended some ferry and cruise services, hitting river-dependent jobs and inland trade routes.
- Receding waters have revealed dozens of World War II wrecks that can contain live ammunition and newly found mammoth bones, creating immediate safety risks for locals and work for museums and ordnance teams.