Human activity is formidable indeed: digging deep craters into the landscape to burn coal, and intending to extract river water later on to refill these voids. Yet, consequence-wise, coal combustion reduces the availability of river water, disrupting the entire plan.
This occurred during the second half of the 20th century with the development of the Garzweiler and Hambach opencast mines. Calculations indicate that the operator RWE is responsible for half a percent (0.47%) of all global CO2 emissions since the beginning of industrialisation. Total CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and oceans have already caused average temperatures in Europe to rise by approximately 2.1 °C compared to pre-industrial times (ca. 1950) — with tangible consequences, including reduced snow and ice cover in the Alps, which feed the major river systems, including the Rhine.
Our image shows the wreck of an eel trawler (Aalschokker) in the Rhine near Dormagen during low water levels — with a striking difference: the left image was taken in late August 2022 (during the extreme low-water period of that time), while the right image was captured a few days ago in early April 2025. This is nearly five months earlier in the year.
Experts concern that the current dry spell in Germany is not an isolated, rare anomaly, but rather a condition to which we must adapt. It demonstrates (once again) that action must be taken to limit every fraction of a degree of global warming. If the Rhine experiences low water levels for the majority of the year, refilling opencast mines will not be the only plan to fail; the country will face far more severe challenges. Furthermore, such rivers also become unsuitable for providing cooling water for nuclear power generation.
We should look beyond merely welcoming the "fine weather". We must advocate for sustainable economic practices, particularly in sustainable energy production, transport, and building management, to ensure our water bodies maintain stable levels. For everyone.
Sources:
- Judicial proceedings OLG Hamm, https://www.lto.de/recht/hintergruende/h/olg-hamm-5u1517-verhandlung-klimaklage-bauer-peru-gegen-rwe-gutachten-sachverstaendige ; https://www.lto.de/recht/nachrichten/n/klimaklage-bauer-peru-gefahr-flutwelle-urteil-14-april
- EEA Global and European temperatures, 2024-06-26, https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/global-and-european-temperatures
- Deutscher Wetterdienst, https://www.dwd.de/DE/presse/pressemitteilungen/DE/2025/20250402_pm_trockenheit_news.html
