Major rivers in Europe are contracting as a result of the worst drought caused by climate change in decades.
Seeing huge rivers like the Loire, Po, and Rhine sometimes reduced to a trickle is upsetting enough. The present drought, however, is also highlighting just how heavily we rely on them for trade, energy, and transportation.
The evaporation of the Rhine is particularly alarming. It is anticipated that it will drop to 4JUdGzvrMFDWrUUwY3toJATSeNwjn54LkCnKBPRzDuhzi5vSepHfUckJNxRL2gjkNrSqtCoRUrEDAgRwsQvVCjZbRyFTLRNyDmT1a1boZVthe chokepoint of Kaub, close to Frankfurt.
Due to Russia's restrictions on gas export, German power plants are especially reliant on the deliveries, and the drought might make the country's energy problem worse.
France, which uses the most nuclear energy in the EU, has also recently run into hot water on the Rhône and Garonne rivers. This week, electricity utility company EDF had to reduce output at some of its power stations as temperatures were too high to use river water to cool the plants down.
Meanwhile shocking photos of the Loire near its mouth at Nantes yesterday show far more river bed than water, with an essentially redundant bridge to the Loireauxence commune.
Across Europe, here’s how photographers have been documenting the devastating impact of heatwaves and drought on our waterways.
