Low rainfall is causing critically low water levels in the Rhine River, jeopardizing commercial navigation on a vital stretch of the waterway. Germany’s Federal Inland Waterways Association warns the river could become fragmented into two non-contiguous sections. This disruption threatens significant impacts on freight transport, a major economic activity reliant on the Rhine. Authorities are bracing for potential halts to cargo movement if levels continue to decline. To mitigate the crisis, some German states have temporarily lifted restrictions on road freight. The situation highlights the increasing vulnerability of European waterways to drought and climate change.