In brief | 10 August '26
Reuters: German shippers warn Rhine could be 'split in two' by low water
Low water levels risk halting cargo traffic on a key stretch of the Rhine this week, effectively splitting the critical waterway into two separate zones, the federal association of German inland shipping (BDB) said.
Bloomberg: Italy’s Record-Low Po River Forces Farmers to Weigh Crop Switch
Climate change is making the Po River swing violently between flood and drought, forcing farmers to rethink what they grow and industries to compete for a resource they once took for granted.
Politico: Europe’s crisis reserves weren’t meant for this kind of drought
Dry seasons have become a fixture of European farming. The EU’s crisis tools still treat them as a surprise.
Reuters: How the hard reality of climate change hit Europe's economy this summer
The hit to the region's economy can already be measured in the hundreds of billions of euros, economists and academics estimate. But they warn this is just the beginning, as costs are set to rise faster than temperatures.
Euronews: Cypriot natural gas flowing to Europe in 2028, says Cyprus Energy Minister
Michalis Damianos, Cyprus's minister for energy, said that the Eastern Mediterranean is rapidly emerging as an alternative source of energy for European countries, as Russia's war in Ukraine and turmoil in the Middle East force the continent to seek new supplies.
NL Times: Dutch bank: Extreme heat could wipe out Dutch, EU economic growth this year
Extreme heat is expected to largely wipe out projected economic growth in the Netherlands this year, according to a new report from the Dutch bank Triodos. The same conditions are hitting the wider European Union hard enough to erase the bloc’s overall expected growth.
Guardian: World’s seas have hit hottest temperature on record for July, say scientists
Average sea surface temperature outside polar regions was highest on record for July, beating previous high in 2023.
Bloomberg: How saving Brazil’s rainforest pushed the crisis into Bolivia
Destruction of the Amazon has declined dramatically in Brazil thanks to stepped-up enforcement. Across the border in Bolivia, it’s rampant.