For 18 rivers all over Austria, the environmental protection organization Greenpeace has analyzed how its amount of water has changed since 1977. The results are alarming: In 15 out of 18 rivers, the amount of water in the summer months from 2000 to 2022 is average than in 1977 to 1999. Rivers in Vorarlberg and Burgenland are particularly affected – here the rivers have lost up to 41 percent of water. On average, the Danube now leads so much less water that you could fill all the Mur. Greenpeace demands rapid measures to protect our rivers and our vital water balance from Water Minister Norbert Tettschnig.
Sebastian Theissing-Matei, Greenpeace spokesman: “The water in Austria’s rivers is becoming less and less. We are not allowed to ignore this alarm signal. The water cycle is the basis of all life. If it continues to get out of balance, there is a risk of massive consequences for ecosystems, agriculture – and ultimately for all of us.”
Greenpeace has evaluated over 78,000 measured values from 18 rivers across Austria. Two periods were compared: the summer months July to September from 1977 to 1999 with those from 2000 to 2022. The rivers were analyzed: Bregenzerach, Donau, Drau, Enns, Gail, Gurk, Ill, Inn, Kamp, Lech, Leitha, Mur, Pinka, Rhein, Salzach, Strem, Traun and Ybbs.
Rivers in Burgenland and Vorarlberg are particularly affected. The Burgenland Strem has an average of 41 percent less water in summer, the Pinka almost a quarter less. Western Austrian rivers also lose a lot: the Lech in Tyrol and Vorarlberg on average 16 percent, the Rhine in Vorarlberg 12 percent. The decline becomes even clearer when you look at the lowest amounts of water per summer month: the Pinka is 58 percent here, the Strem is just under 30 percent. The Ill also led around a quarter less water in particularly dry times than before, the Rhine around one fifth less.
A total of less water flowed in 15 out of 18 rivers in the summers from 2000 to 2022 than from 1977 to 1999. In 14 rivers, the lowest water levels reached were sometimes significantly lower. That means: In summer, less water not only flows in Austria’s rivers – even the lowest water levels are becoming increasingly smaller on average. You can find all results in detail at: https://act.gp/4enCfwO
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Thomas Hein, Head of the Institute for Hydrobiology and Water Management at the BOKU and a member of the management team of the Austrian Biodiversity Council: “Increasing water temperatures and decreasing flows in the summer months lead to further negative effects on the living world of the rivers. These changes affect the regions of Austria differently, the trend will continue in the next few decades. Therefore, as a company, we have to act determined.”
The results show once again the urgent need for action to protect our water balance. Greenpeace demands the rapid implementation of a package of measures from Wasserminmint. These include the transparency register for actual water withdrawals in the government program, an ambitious water strategy and more speed for renaturation projects so that rivers can keep more water in the region even in the future.
The factsheet “Austria’s rivers lose water” with the results in detail: https://act.gp/4enCfwO
All documents, images and graphics can be found at: https://act.gp/Flussanalyse
The photos and graphics are available free of charge for editorial use.