The waters of the Danube, Europe's second longest river and a major commercial link between the continent and the Black Sea, have dropped to such a low level that virtually all riverine shipping companies have been forced to load ships and barges below their capacity.

This resulted in a major increase of transport expenses, since navigation costs are the same no matter if a ship is empty or fully loaded, experts say.

In Croatia, suffering the worst drought in 50 years, the water level of the Danube fell in August 45 centimeters (about 18 inches) below the average level measured near the eastern town of Osijek, strongly perturbing activities of ports and shipping companies.

Losses resulting from the Danube's low ebb reached some 781,000 euros (872,000 dollars) during the past two months, Marina Haluzan, spokeswoman for the ministry of maritime affairs, transport and communications, told AFP.

"Ships and barges load some 60 to 70 percent of their full capacity in order to avoid stranding," she said.

In mid-August the traffic on the Danube was blocked for a few days after a Ukrainian ship ran aground upriver in neighbouring Serbia, as a result of low water levels caused by drought.

In Austria, near Wildungsmauer, between Vienna and the Slovakian border, the Danube level was some 1.2 meters (four feet) while a ship needs three meters (10 feet) to navigate with full cargo.

Those who use river traffic are thus obliged to choose alternative means of transportation such as roads or railways, which is a disaster for shipping companies, said head of the Vienna port, Friedrich Pacejka.

In Bulgaria, the Danube's low level in August caused losses estimated at almost 534,000 euros (596,000 dollars) for ports and the Bulgarian River Navigation company, Captain Peitcho Manolov, head of the port administration in the northeastern town of Rousee, said.

For the period between May and August the losses could reach almost four million euros (4.5 million dollars), he added.

In Hungary, economic consequences are "disastrous," emphasized Janos Litvai, an official of MAHART, the country's national navigation company.

"In August, our fleet practically did not move," said Litvai, estimating his firm's losses at some 390,000 euros (435,000 dollars).

In 2003 MAHART achieved only 25 percent of its turnover compared with the same period in 2001, since 2002 can not be taken as a reference due to heavy floods.

In Romania, facing the worst drought in the past 160 years, the Danube dropped to a rather dramatic low level with the volume of water flowing down the river being reduced to 1,700 cubic meters (18,300 cubic feet) from its average 4,400 cubic meters (47,000 cubic feet) a second.

Dozens of ships have been stuck for several days in the section of the Danube running through Romania while the shipping companies warn that they are losing "hundreds of millions of dollars."

After being closed for more than 20 days due to the Danube's low level, a pontoon bridge in the northern Serbian town of Novi Sad, replacing one of those bombed by NATO in 1999, was reopened on September 5. More than a hundred vessels were waiting for its reopening to continue navigating the Danube.

TERRA.WIRE