Balance 2025/26: Extreme low water "cannot be dredged away"
The year coming to a close was marked by extremely low water levels. Experts attribute this in part to climate change - but also to the straightening and deepening of rivers.
Germany's rivers experienced extremely low water levels for months this year, with nine major river basins affected by low water, according to an evaluation by the Science Media Center for the hydrological year 2025/26. The low water levels were "significantly more frequent than in previous years," with around a fifth of river discharges classified as "very low" or "extremely low" in January 2026 and 35% in August and September.
The drought also affected soils, with an "extreme drought" developing in southern Germany during the summer, and experts warn that long and intensive rainfall is needed to replenish water levels. The Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde and the Leibniz-Institut für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei warn that climate change is likely to lead to more frequent and severe droughts and low water phases in the summer.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
