The shallowing of rivers will further limit the supply of vital goods to parts of the EU and exacerbate the energy crisis in Europe, which has previously lost its supply of Russian gas. Related reports Bloomberg.
The material states that the water level in the Rhine, near the city of Kaub, where the river is narrow and shallow, could drop to 30 centimeters by Monday and continue to drop in the days to come. At the same time, it becomes economically unprofitable for many barges to cross this narrow passage when the water is at 40 centimeters.
The authors of the article emphasize that the Rhine is used to transport large volumes of cargo, including diesel fuel and coal.
“The climate crisis has come at the worst possible time, as Europe enters an energy crisis exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine. While climate change is drying up Europe’s rivers, it’s only exacerbating the cost of living crisis.
Bloomberg columnist Javier Blas previously WroteAn energy crisis in Europe will test the determination of Western governments to reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas. He noted that, according to the results of July, oil production in the Russian Federation has almost completely returned to the indicators that existed before the start of the special operation in Ukraine.