Rhine almost no longer navigable owing to low water levels
Low water levels mean the River Rhine is now barely navigable for cargo ships at one point. However, this does not affect the supply of essential goods to Switzerland.
At the village of Kaub, in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, the water level of the Rhine is currently so low that the river has, in effect, almost split in two. This was confirmed by a spokeswoman for the Swiss Rhine Ports (Port of Switzerland) in response to an enquiry from the Swiss News Agency Keystone-SDA.
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Many ships are no longer operating at all, or are only doing so with greatly reduced cargo, according to the website of the Federal Office for National Economic Supply. Transport capacity for imports is significantly restricted.
However, thanks to a shift to rail and road transport, Switzerland’s supply of essential goods such as petroleum products and foodstuffs remains guaranteed, it said.
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