Overview
- River gauges on the Rhine and other waterways have dropped to historic lows, limiting ship draughts and threatening continuous inland navigation with some gauges forecasting further declines.
- Several federal states have temporarily suspended the Sunday and holiday Lkw (truck) driving ban to shift cargo from barges to road and rail and keep supply chains moving.
- Transport Minister Steffen Bilger has announced immediate relief measures and plans to expand funding for adaptation programs to help ports, ships and waterways cope with low‑water operations.
- Worsening wildfires in Hesse have raised urgent calls to save water as firefighting uses large volumes of water, stretching local reserves and prompting municipal appeals to residents.
- A weaponized drone found at Leipzig/Halle and a subsequent collision with an unknown object have intensified calls for stronger airport drone defence, including proposals to involve the Bundeswehr and reconsider legal competencies for domestic protection.