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Elbe on the ground: low water endangers freight shipping in Aken!
Low water on the Elbe endangers the transport of goods in Saxony-Anhalt. Demands for rethinking water policy are growing.
Elbe on the ground: low water endangers freight shipping in Aken!
The Elbe, once an important waterway for freight transport, is currently facing serious challenges. Last weekend a short rain shower brought some relief, but it was not enough to noticeably increase the water level in Aken. At the moment the water level in the city is still below half a meter, which means that the transport of heavy goods is currently not possible MDR reports.
The German Association for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) has been calling for a rethinking of Elbe policy for some time. According to the most recent analyses, the Elbe can no longer be used as a freight transport route. There have been repeated periods of low water in recent months, and climatic changes are making this problem appear even more threatening. Felix Ekardt, the state chairman of BUND in Saxony, emphasizes: “The climatic conditions have changed fundamentally and low water periods are increasing.” For more than 120 days a year, the required depth of 1.40 meters was not reached in various places in the river, and the level even fell below the 1.0 meter mark for more than 60 days Confederation of Saxony reported.
The economic consequences
The effects of this low water phase cannot be ignored. The ability to plan transports suffers considerably, which leads to falling freight rates and pushes throughput volumes in Saxony's inland ports to a historic low of around 0.1 million tonnes per year. Despite impressive investments of around 430 million euros between 2013 and 2022 to improve the waterway, the situation has not improved, either Daily Mirror reported. These grievances not only have economic consequences, but also raise the question of whether further construction work to achieve the required channel depth actually makes sense.
Ekardt warns: “Construction work will come to nothing if there is no water.” Further interventions could even endanger the sensitive ecosystems along the Elbe. The pressure for a political reassessment of this situation is increasing as the current developments in shipping are seen as an alarming sign. A rethinking of Elbe policy is therefore inevitable and required.
The challenges facing the Elbe as a waterway could have far-reaching consequences for the region, and BUND's voice is becoming increasingly louder. It remains to be seen whether those responsible will recognize the signs of the times and take the necessary steps.