00:03SNAKING THROUGH GERMANY AND FIVE OTHER COUNTRIES, THE RHINE RIVER IS EUROPE'S MOST IMPORTANT INLAND
00:09TRADE PASSAGE.
00:10BUT THE RIVER IS DANGEROUSLY DRY.
00:13TRADE AND LIVELIHOODS ARE UNDER THREAT.
00:18SHIPS ON THIS RIVER MOVE EVERYTHING FROM MOTOR PARTS TO PHARMACEUTICALS.
00:25CAPTAIN TORSTEN STONTS TRANSPORTS CRUSHED GRAVEL USED FOR CONCRETE ACROSS EUROPE.
00:32I SEE THAT THE PROBLEMS ARE DEFINITELY COMING IN THE LONG TERM.
00:35MY FEAR IS THAT LOW TIDE LEVELS WILL BECOME MORE AND MORE FREQUENT.
00:40LAST MONTH, DURING EUROPE'S RECORD-BREAKING HEATWAVES AND DROUGHT, PARTS OF THE RHINE
00:45SHUT AS WATER LEVELS PLUNGED.
00:48CAPTAIN TORSTEN COULDN'T MOVE FREIGHT AND COULDN'T MAKE MONEY.
00:53I WOULDN'T RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY MORE CAPTAINS END UP IN TROUBLE.
00:57THIS IS A TERRIFYING SIGHT FOR PEOPLE HERE IN GERMANY.
01:01WE'VE BEEN TRAVELING ALONG THE RHINE FOR SEVERAL HOURS NOW AND WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF THIS
01:06RIVERBED THAT WAS ONCE COVERED WITH METERS OF WATER NOW JUST VAST EMPTY SPACE.
01:12WHEN WATER LEVELS AREN'T AFFECTED, ABOUT 285 MILLION TONS OF FREIGHT MOVE ON THE RHINE
01:18EVERY YEAR, MAKING UP ABOUT 30 PERCENT OF THE CARGO AT THE LARGEST TRADE HUB IN EUROPE,
01:24ROTTERDAM PORT.
01:25HOW IMPORTANT IS THE RHINE?
01:27I THINK IT'S UNDERESTIMATED, ESPECIALLY REFERRING TO VERY VOLUMEROUS OR HEAVY GOODS, THE RHINE
01:35IS NEEDED.
01:36THE RIVER'S NOW OPEN AGAIN, BUT IT'S NOT DEEP ENOUGH FOR HEAVY SHIPS.
01:41TONS OF FREIGHT IS BEING FORCED ONTO CONGESTED ROADS AND BUSY RAIL, WHICH CAN HAVE A KNOCK-ON
01:47EFFECT AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING IN AUSTRALIA.
01:50WE IMPOST AROUND $23 BILLION OF VALUE, YOU KNOW, FROM GERMANY.
01:55IF WE CANNOT USE, YOU KNOW, INLAND WATERWAY TRANSPORT BECAUSE OF THE LOW WATER OF THE RIDE,
02:00THE TIME WILL BE LONGER AND THE COST WILL BE HIGHER.
02:03AN ANCIENT BEDROCK OF EUROPEAN TRADE, NOW AT THE MERCY OF A CHANGING CLIMATE.
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