Transportprobleme: Niedrigwasser: Ökonomin Grimm sagt steigende Preise voraus
Die Preise könnten bei diversen Grundstoffen steigen, warnt die Wirtschaftsweise. Sie kritisiert die Politiker, die kurzsichtig agierten, statt sich auf solche Lagen vorzubereiten.
Wirtschaftswissenschaftlerin Veronika Grimm has forecasted rising prices due to low water levels on German rivers causing transportation issues, according to the "Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger". "Inefficient rationing can unnecessarily drive prices up with low water," she told the newspaper. The effects of low water levels are felt in the chemical industry and energy markets, particularly in the transport of oil to refineries.
The extent to which prices react to different commodities depends on the storage capacities companies have built up. Grimm criticized the lack of foresight in politics regarding climate change adaptation, stating that while a ban on Sunday driving for trucks is a good measure, "it would be good if we were prepared for such situations instead of discussing ad hoc emergency measures."
She emphasized that the impacts of climate change can be predicted, and that the solution to transportation problems caused by low water levels cannot be simply achieved by deepening rivers. "Deepening at individual points of the river channels might be worthwhile, but it does not create additional water," she noted. Politicians should also develop plans to prioritize transportations.
DB Cargo plans to reactivate old freight wagons to compensate for lost ship transports, with the railway company's potential to mobilize up to 900 wagons, 300 of them immediately. This could replace 200 inland ships, according to DB Cargo CEO Bernhard Osburg. Federal Transport Minister Steffen Bilger (CDU) supports shifting ship freight to rail and road transport due to the low water levels.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
