Will the drought in Europe affect your river cruise vacation?
The loading platform is broken. The worst news I have read about Europe, especially about the amount of water flowing along the Rhine, comes mainly from the European maritime regions. "The Rhine is an important highway and transport route in France, connecting Germany and Switzerland," says Schleiner. Merchant ships cannot carry general cargo at high tide. The weight of the cargo the ship is carrying affects the draft (the distance between land and water). Because there are heavy vessels in the water, long distances from the water's edge to the river bed are required to safely navigate the river without damaging it. If a vessel needs to reduce its tonnage to navigate in shallow water, it can carry less cargo. Companies need more ships to transport the same amount of goods, and shipping costs are rising, all of which have a negative impact on the European economy. According to Schreiner, Europe's last watershed in 2018 had an economic impact of €5.4 million (£4.49 mil