Europe’s Heat Wave: Drying Rivers Threaten Ecology and Economy

In June 2025, extreme heat in Europe has reduced the flow of major rivers such as the Rhine and Danube to record lows. The Cologne section of the Rhine is less than 2 meters deep, reducing barge capacity to 25%, and the Federation of German Industries warns of a possible shortage of raw materials for the chemical and steel industries. The water level of the Po River in Italy hit a 70-year low, rice paddies dried up and reduced rice production by 50%, and the riverbed was exposed and even exposed the bombs left over from World War II. Part of the Loire River in France completely cut off the flow, forced to close the canal navigation. Scientists pointed out that the high temperature and drought superimposed on climate change, European river ecosystems may face irreversible damage.