Will the Rhine remain navigable in the future due to climate change?

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By Stéphane Amant, Senior Manager in charge of the Mobility Division

Who said that the impact of climate change was essentially limited to countries in the Global South or developing countries? Right on our doorstep, in Germany, global warming is playing a very nasty trick on our German cousins. In fact, The Rhine could become impassable next summer or fall if the drought in Europe continues, just as we saw last year, despite heavy snowfall in the region where the river originates [1]. This situation is far from being science fiction, since This already happened in October 2018, when low-water levels were so low that river traffic had to be suspended[2]. And this isn't just an inconvenience for river tourism enthusiasts who take cruises during the warmer months. It is, in fact, a real a thorn in the side of German industry, since a significant portion of its supplies are transported via the river. For example, the heavyweight of the chemical industry BASF had to halt plastic production at one of its plants. The blow was so severe that the government authorized the use of some of its strategic fuel reserves to shift traffic to road or air travel. Ultimately, According to Bloomberg, this event was significant enough to trigger economic growth.

This is a a very concrete example of the consequences of climate change that even advanced economies may face, particularly with regard to their transportation infrastructure. By the way, has anyone in France asked this question regarding the Garonne or the Rhône, for example? Incidentally, it’s worth noting with some regret that the solution implemented by the Germans in 2018 to get around the drought problem was to shift to more carbon-intensive modes of transportation, thereby exacerbating greenhouse gas emissions… which in turn contributes to climate change… which is, in fact, the very cause of the drought problem! Aren’t we in the process of sawing off the branch we’re sitting on?

Sources: [1] Bloomberg [2] Understanding Energy