Heat-driven low river levels expose historic relics and disrupt European freight

Severe heat and scarce rainfall have left major European rivers at unusually low levels, bringing long-submerged objects to the surface and affecting freight traffic. The Danube and the Rhine, which together handled about 72% of the EU's inland waterway transport in 2025, have revealed both prehistoric and World War II relics.

In Ryahovo, Bulgaria, a resident discovered woolly mammoth remains and alerted local authorities and the Regional History Museum in Ruse. Museum curator and ecologist Krasimir Kirov said mammoth finds have been reported in the area since the mid-20th century, but the current exposure threatens the bones because "the water plays the role of the conservator of the conditions." He warned that air exposure can cause irreversible damage if specialists cannot intervene promptly.

Elsewhere, low water has exposed shipwrecks and other artifacts from the Second World War. While these discoveries are noted as a positive side-effect of the heat wave, the reduced water depth is already impacting freight. Eurostat data show inland waterway freight fell 3% in 2025 compared with the previous year, and Germany could see a 0.3-percentage-point dip in GDP growth, according to analysis by ING.

Richard Lee, spokesperson for Wetlands International, said climate change together with extensive dredging and drainage have intensified the water-level problem. Forecasts from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre suggest warmer, drier conditions may continue into September.