Who stole the river? Fears for shipping as the Danube's levels drop dangerously low

By JACK DAVIDSON
Updated: 10:38 EST, 6 December 2011

Cruise passengers looking forward to a voyage along one of Europe's greatest rivers may find their plans disrupted this year as the worst drought in over 200 years threatens to paralyse transport on the Danube.

Not going with the flow: Patches of dry ground are visible as the Danube ebbs through Budapest

According to officials in Bulgaria, water levels have dropped to near-record lows along parts of the river, making it almost impossible to navigate.

'The situation is critical not only here on the lower Danube but also upriver in Hungary, Austria, Germany,' says Ivan Ivanov, deputy chief of Bulgarian River Shipping.

'There is just no water!'

Bleak outlook: The flow is so low in the Serbian capital Belgrade that boats are clear of the water line

Ports in the region have seen reductions of up to 25 per cent in traffic, while ferry services between Bulgaria and Romania are 'on the edge' of closing if water levels drop another 50cm, Ivanov says.

To make matters worse, the lack of rainfall in Germany has led to sluggish currents, which put the river at risk of freezing in the coming winter months.

The Danube has not frozen in Bulgaria since 1985.

The real deal: When its banks are full, the Danube is one of Europe's greatest rivers

In spite of the potential crisis, Christmas river cruise companies remain stoic, maintaining that business will continue as usual.

A spokesperson for Europe River Cruises told the Daily Telegraph: 'Our Christmas market tours will not be affected, if boats cannot navigate the river then we will take people by coach.'

A muddle of puddles: In some parts, the great river - seen here in Hungary - has run completely dry

Viking River Cruises, who also operate winter tours along the river, were reported on Travelweekly.co.uk as saying: 'The magnitude of this late-season drought was not immediately apparent.

'For each of the Danube and Rhine sailings that are affected in December, we are providing ship-board credit, complimentary optional excursions, and credit to use on a future cruise.'

Nowhere to go: Boats in Serbia are stranded until the river returns to more normal levels

An environmental group has warned that the drought is evidence of the Danube's reduced resilience to extreme conditions.

Andreas Beckmann, Director of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Program, said in a recent article on the organisation's website: 'Extreme weather events are increasingly likely and we must protect and strengthen our "green infrastructure" as best response.

'The current dry conditions highlight the need to minimize the impact of structural interventions, for example structures to improve navigation conditions and flood protection structures, as they reduce the resilience of water ecosystems.'

No need for swimming trunks: A man walks down the dried-up Danube river bed near Immendingen in Germany

The Danube is the longest river in Central Europe, and the second longest in Europe as a whole (the Volga, which cleaves through Russia, is longer).

It flows for 1777 miles, starting out in Germany's Black Forest, and also cutting through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine and Romania en route to the Black Sea.

As if these disruptions are not enough, local communities in Koblenz, on the German portion of the Rhine, have been evacuated after unexploded World War II bombs were uncovered by the receding river.