Low water levels on Danube disrupt shipping, tourism in Hungary

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Low water levels on Danube disrupt shipping, tourism in Hungary

2026-07-23 15:13 Last Updated At：18:53

Water levels in the Hungarian section of the Danube River have dropped significantly this summer due to persistent hot and dry weather, disrupting freight transport and river cruise tourism across the country.

Data showed that in the first half of the year, Danube's flow volume in the Hungarian section fell by over 40 percent compared to the 30-year average for the same period.

As a result, multiple sightseeing cruise lines have been suspended, according to Laszlo Somodi, CEO of MAHART-PassNave, a leading Hungarian river cruise and shipping operator based in Budapest.

"As you can see, the water level in Budapest allows sightseeing boats to sail between bridges in the city center, but outside Budapest, there are already a number of constrictions where ships can no longer cross. So, it's unfortunately already a very, very serious obstacle to shipping. Tourism is very important. More than 10 million visitors come to Budapest every year, including Chinese and Americans. People from around the world come to Hungary to enjoy the beauty of Budapest, the Hungarian landscape, and the Danube Bend, but the services are now seriously affected," the CEO said.

Beyond tourism, the river is also a vital artery for trade. Each year from 2019-2023, Hungary's Dunabe ports handled more than three million tons of cargo turnover. According to Somodi, the lower water levels are threatening that as well.

"This difficulty in freight transport is even worse, because the draft of cargo ships is over half a meter deeper. They can no longer sail anywhere on the Hungarian section of the Danube," he said.

Somodi said his company's port service revenue has declined more than 20 percent, and it could be cut by as much as half if the situation continues for several weeks.

Hungary's water authorities attribute the sharp decline in water levels to a combination of factors, including the ongoing heatwave and drought, as well as decades of intensive sand and gravel extraction that have deepened the river channel, leading to dramatic water level falls during dry spells.

Meanwhile, weather authorities forecast there will be no significant rainfall across Hungary in August, which is traditionally the hottest month, and the drought may deteriorate in the Danube as a result.

International media visit mudslide-hit Gyirong Port

International media on Saturday and Sunday visited the core disaster area of mudslide-hit Gyirong Port on the China-Nepal border in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

The reporters from the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Brazil among other countries and regions visited the area and learned about the disaster situation, ongoing rescue operations, and progress in recovery and reconstruction.

"China has this particular the capacity to address this kind of crisis. You have thousands of workers trained for this and you have machines made for this kind of efforts. And of course, our heart goes to them for the kind of work they are putting," said KJM Varma Mokanda, a reporter from Press Trust of India.

The mudslide, triggered by a high-altitude glacier collapse in Nepal on Aug 26, had left 43 people dead and 519 others missing at the border port as of 18:00 Saturday, the emergency response and rescue headquarters told a press conference on Sunday.

As of 18:00 Saturday, more than 2,500 people and over 500 vehicles had been deployed for the rescue, and more than 1,000 flights of drones had air-dropped 5.43 tons of supplies, officials said at the press conference.