• German state transport ministers are urging the federal government to adopt measures to address the effects of low water levels on inland waterways, including updating action plans and implementing a support program for vessels suitable for low-water conditions.
• The proposal highlights the threat to supply chains and strain on the economy and consumers due to historically low water levels on rivers like the Rhine and Danube, calling for short-term, medium-term, and long-term adaptation strategies to address the impact of climate change.
• The transport infrastructure plan for federal waterways, particularly the Rhine river, is set to be implemented soon to improve navigability during periods of low water, as the frequency of extreme low-water events is expected to increase in the future.

Germany's state transport ministers are set to urge the federal government at a special conference on Thursday to adopt a comprehensive package of measures to address the effects of low water levels on inland waterways.

The proposal is contained in a draft resolution made public by the Rheinische Post newspaper on Wednesday. German waterways are currently at low levels following an extended drought.

It calls for the Transport Ministry to introduce a national or European support programme for vessels suitable for operating in low-water conditions and for earlier action plans to be updated.

The transport infrastructure plan relating to federal waterways, particularly the Rhine river, should be implemented soon to improve navigability during periods of low water.

The proposal says the current situation is threatening supply chains and placing strain on both the economy and consumers.

"The increasing frequency of extreme low-water events expected in the future as a consequence of climate change requires not only short-term measures but also medium- and long-term adaptation strategies," the draft proposal states.

It describes the historically low water levels on the Rhine, Danube, and other rivers as "an extraordinary challenge for Germany's already strained freight transport system."