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Europe’s shrinking rivers reveal past relics
edition.cnn.com • • world
Key Points:
- Europe’s extreme summer heat and drought have caused rivers like the Danube to reach record low levels, exposing ancient relics including mammoth bones in Bulgaria and century-old shipwrecks in Croatia and Serbia.
- The Danube’s water level in Budapest fell to 9 inches, breaking the previous low record and forcing Hungary to shut down its Paks Nuclear Power Plant temporarily due to insufficient cooling water.
- Low river levels are disrupting shipping by forcing cargo ships to reduce loads and slowing transport, while also impacting tourism as river cruises are canceled or altered and boats become stranded.
- Other European water bodies, such as Lake Brenets on the Switzerland-France border, are drying up, further illustrating the widespread impact of the drought on ecosystems and local economies.
- Scientists attribute the worsening heat and drought to human-driven climate change, warning that such extreme conditions will become more frequent unless fossil fuel emissions are drastically reduced.
