Overview
- The Danube fell to historic lows on Saturday, exposing a German World War II warship near Prahovo, Serbia, and a woolly mammoth skeleton near Ruse, Bulgaria.
- Romania has declared a state of emergency and Nuclearelectrica shut one reactor because river water used for cooling fell below safe levels.
- Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant is operating at under 50% capacity and the prime minister warned the reactors may be taken offline for weeks if water levels do not recover.
- River navigation is largely halted, tourist cruises are forced to dock upriver, and Serbia faces recurring commercial delays estimated at about €5 million a year because of wrecks and obstructions.
- The European Investment Bank has pledged roughly €16 million to clear river obstructions as governments plan dredging and contingency measures to ease energy shortfalls and restore trade, while scientists link the extreme drought to human-driven climate change.