A prolonged heatwave and severe drought this summer have driven the Danube River to record low levels in Hungary, disrupting shipping and raising fears of significant economic damage as the autumn harvest approaches.
In the Budapest stretch, water levels have been hovering between just 8 and 18 centimeters in recent days, far below the navigable minimum fairway depth of 2.5 meters.
The situation has brought cargo traffic on the Hungarian section of the Danube to a near standstill, and international cruise ships have been unable to reach the capital.
"Freight transport on the Danube has become almost impossible. On some downstream sections, vessels can operate with minimal loads, while on the Hungarian section, most ships simply cannot pass at all. This is disrupting normal operations of freight transport and logistics chains, which is a very serious problem not just for Hungary, but for the whole of Europe," said Szalma Botond, executive vice president of the Federation of National Associations of Ship Brokers and Agents (FONASBA).
As the autumn grain harvest is just around the corner, Hungary expects to export large volumes of wheat, corn, and other agricultural products via the Danube. If cargo ships are unable to sail fully loaded -- or cannot leave port at all -- logistics costs will spike, profit margins will shrink, and the competitiveness of Hungarian farm produce on international markets will suffer severely, Botond warned.
"This should be the peak sales season for agricultural goods. But unfortunately, they'll become overstocked and unsellable. This means the planned GDP growth for this year will be taken away by the drought and the Danube shipping disruption alone," he said.
Compounding the crisis, the low water levels on the Danube have forced the Paks, Hungary's only nuclear power plant, to shut down partially for the lack of coolant source.
Danube’s record-low water levels paralyze Hungarian shipping, threaten economy
