Water levels in the Danube, Tisza, and Sava continue to fall, with no significant rainfall expected for at least five weeks. Serbia's Deputy Minister for Water Transport warns that the costs of hampered transport could soon be felt by all consumers.
The prolonged drought and extreme heat gripping Europe are taking an increasing toll on navigable rivers. The Danube's water level continues to drop, and according to Vladimir Batalović, Serbia's Deputy Minister for Water Transport and Navigation Safety, the situation is becoming critical. Although navigation has not been officially suspended, it is slowly becoming economically unviable.
Drone footage showing people swimming in the middle of the Danube's riverbed near Batina in Croatia, as well as near a sunken German WWII warship at Prahovo, vividly illustrates the scale of the problem. The river, which flows through Serbia for about 580 kilometers-a fifth of its total length-is getting shallower.
Batalović explained to RTS that the key issue is economic. "I don't think we'll suspend navigation; I'd rather say that shipping will become unprofitable," he stated. As an example, he cited a barge with a capacity of 1,000 tons currently carrying only 250 to 300 tons of cargo. The carrier thus makes no profit, and the rising transport costs per unit of goods will eventually be passed on to end consumers.
The situation is somewhat better downstream from Belgrade thanks to the Iron Gates, but upstream, through Western European countries, the problem is even more pronounced. In neighboring countries like Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Austria, navigation is difficult or partially suspended. Hungary has even announced, for the first time in its history, the closure of its only nuclear power plant due to record-low water levels.
The Waterways Directorate, in cooperation with the Ministry, has been carrying out works at critical points since the beginning of the year. Works near Arankina Ada were completed in April 2026, and work is currently underway at the Preliv site. However, Batalović warns that conditions are extremely difficult.
"The works are very challenging; the water level is low. The amount of material that needs to be disposed of cannot be taken out; that's a legal provision, so we have to release it somewhere into the flow," he said. Due to the river's weak current, dredged material can no longer be carried downstream and must be deposited along the banks, further complicating the process.
The Deputy Minister also highlighted the limits of intervention: "We will certainly have to carry out certain dredging works, but the deepened channels won't be able to be that wide. We can't dig up the entire Danube to reach a level of 2.5 meters, which is, as they say, set as the minimum navigable depth."
Forecasts are not encouraging. Heavy rains of 100 liters per square meter, which could significantly raise water levels, are not expected for at least five weeks. Batalović emphasizes that the problem is cross-border and requires a joint solution. "This must be solved with joint efforts. That's why we have Danube conferences and meetings, to jointly assess and address these issues," he concluded.
