Germany weighs options as low water levels trigger price surges

Germany's transport minister, Steffen Bilger, is monitoring surging fuel prices that are being triggered by critically low water levels in major European rivers this summer. Bilger, who joined Chancellor Friedrich Merz's cabinet on July 29, opposes a fuel rebate similar to one agreed to in April, deeming it "no longer possible and no longer affordable."

The low river levels are causing supply disruptions and higher prices in certain regions, although Bilger noted that the supply chains are still functioning. The Rhine, Danube, and Po rivers are experiencing unprecedented heat wave conditions, which pose risks of wildfires, threaten crops, and dry out watersheds that feed these waterways.

River navigation and power generation have been disrupted by dwindling water levels. At a crisis meeting last week, Bilger called for actions including lifting state driving restrictions on public holidays to keep supply chains open and suspending construction work to ensure the movement of goods. He plans to convene another meeting on Wednesday.

Climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of extreme heat in Europe, straining power grids, draining water supplies, and reducing farm output.